Ningbo’s Olympic Centre witnessed a valiant effort from India’s Aayush Shetty, who clinched silver in the men’s singles at the Badminton Asia Championships but couldn’t overcome China’s Shi Yu in the final. The scores read 21-8, 21-10 in favor of the world champion and second seed, ending Shetty’s dream run on April 12.
The 20-year-old world No. 25 scripted history by becoming the second Indian after HS Prannoy (2018) to medal in men’s singles at this prestigious event. His semifinal triumph over Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, the defending champion and world No. 1, made him the third Indian overall—and second in men’s singles—to reach the final, following in the footsteps of legends.
Shetty’s upset streak began early, shocking world No. 7 and Asian Games champion Lee Shifeng in the opener. He followed with a win over Chi Yu Jen to advance to quarters, where he dismantled Jonatan Christie, ranked fourth globally. This US Open 2025 winner from Karnataka’s Sanoor has coaches and fans buzzing about his potential.
A victory would have matched Dinesh Khanna’s 1965 gold, but silver is a massive achievement. In the women’s final, An Se-young of South Korea dominated Wang Zhiyi 21-12, 17-12, 21-18, securing her career Grand Slam across all major titles in badminton history.
As Shetty reflects on this milestone, Indian badminton eyes future conquests with renewed optimism.
