New Delhi: India’s rising badminton talent Ayush Shetty concluded an impressive campaign with a silver medal at the Badminton Asia Championships after going down in straight games to Shi Yu Qi in the final held in Ningbo.
The 20 year old, who entered the tournament unseeded, struggled to match the consistency and tactical precision of the reigning world champion, losing 8-21, 10-21. Despite the defeat, his journey to the final marked a significant achievement, ending a long wait for India to have a men’s singles finalist at the event.
Ayush became only the second Indian men’s singles player to reach the summit clash after Dinesh Khanna, who remains the only Indian to have won the title back in 1965. His performance also added to recent Indian success at the tournament, following the men’s doubles triumph by Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in 2023.
Coming into the final, Ayush had displayed exceptional form, defeating top ranked opponents including world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, world No. 4 Jonatan Christie, and world No. 7 Li Shi Feng. However, he found it difficult to counter Shi’s composed approach and variety of strokes in the title match.
Shi controlled the tempo from the start, dominating net exchanges and forcing errors through sharp placement and deceptive play. Ayush showed brief resistance in the second game, even taking an early lead, but could not sustain momentum as the Chinese shuttler quickly regained control.
The match ultimately highlighted the gap in experience at the highest level, with Shi maintaining pressure throughout to close out the contest comfortably.
Despite the loss, Ayush’s silver medal stands as a major milestone in his young career, underlining his potential and signaling a promising future for Indian badminton on the international stage.
