Ayush Shetty wins silver at Badminton Asia Championships, ends 61-year wait

Ayush Shetty secured a silver medal at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026, finishing runner-up in the men’s singles event after losing to world champion Shi Yuqi in the final in Ningbo, China, on Sunday.

The 20-year-old Indian, ranked world No. 25, went down 21-8, 21-10 in 42 minutes against the second-ranked Chinese shuttler. Despite the defeat, Shetty’s campaign marked a significant milestone, as he became the first Indian in 61 years to win a men’s singles silver at the continental championships.

Dinesh Khanna remains the only Indian to have won gold in the event, achieving the feat in 1965. Shetty’s medal is also India’s first in men’s singles at the Asian Championships since HS Prannoy’s bronze in 2018.

Shetty’s run to the final included a series of notable victories against higher-ranked opponents. He began by defeating world No. 7 Li Shi Feng and followed it up with a win over Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen.

In the quarterfinals, Shetty overcame world No. 4 Jonatan Christie before producing a major upset in the semifinals against world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

In the final, however, Shi Yuqi controlled the match from the outset, using variation and precision to take the opening game comfortably. Although Shetty showed early intent in the second game, the Chinese player regained momentum and closed out the contest.

The silver medal adds to India’s recent success at the championships, following Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s men’s doubles gold in 2023, and signals the emergence of a new contender in Indian men’s singles badminton.