Our Bureau
Ningbo
India’s young shuttler Ayush Shetty made history by winning silver in the men’s singles at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 in Ningbo, China. The 20-year-old lost the final to China’s world No. 2 Shi Yuqi 8-21, 10-21 in 42 minutes on Sunday.
Shetty, ranked 25th in the world, stunned top seed and world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the semifinals 10-21, 21-19, 21-17. He also beat world No. 4 Jonatan Christie in the quarterfinals to secure India’s first men’s singles medal in 61 years. The last Indian gold was by Dinesh Khanna in 1965.
Shi Yuqi dominated the final with strong net play and smashes, leading 11-6 in the first game. Shetty fought back early in the second but could not hold on. This was Shi’s first BAC gold and China’s first men’s singles title since 2017.
South Korea topped the medals table, winning three titles in women’s singles (An Se-young beat Wang Zhiyi in 100 minutes), men’s doubles, and mixed doubles. They became the overall champions at the event held from April 7-12.
Shetty’s run shows promise for Indian badminton. Fans praise his fight against top players. India eyes more success in future events.
