Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Young Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty fell short in his quest for the title, losing to China’s Shi Yu Qi in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships. His impressive run ended with an 8-21, 10-21 defeat against the world No. 2, as India’s wait for a men’s singles gold at the event stretched beyond six decades.Shi Yu Qi was in complete command, delivering a clinical performance to secure the crown in just over 40 minutes. The reigning world champion added the Asian title to his decorated stats, becoming the first Chinese men’s singles winner at the tournament since 2016.
Despite the loss, Ayush emerged as one of the biggest positives of the competition. The 20-year-old’s giant-killing run is set to propel him into the top 20 of the world rankings, reflecting his rapid rise on the international stage. His silver medal also made him the first Indian men’s singles player since HS Prannoy in 2018 to secure a podium finish at the continental meet.In doing so, Ayush added his name to a short list of Indian achievers at the tournament. Dinesh Khanna remains the only Indian men’s singles champion, having won the title in 1965, while the pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinched the men’s doubles crown in 2023.A product of the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru, Ayush had already made history by becoming the first Indian in 61 years to reach the men’s singles final, matching a milestone last achieved by Khanna. His run included a stunning semifinal victory over world No. 1 and defending champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn.He opened his campaign with a straight-game win over world No. 7 Li Shi Feng and followed it up with another comfortable victory against Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen in the Round of 16. In the quarterfinals, he edged past Indonesia’s world No. 4 Jonatan Christie in a tight contest to secure India’s first medal at the event.Ayush then produced the standout performance of his campaign in the semifinals, rallying from a game down to beat Kunlavut in three games. Across the tournament, he defeated three top-10 players – Li Shi Feng, Jonatan Christie and Kunlavut Vitidsarn – underlining his composure and attacking quality, even as he finished one step short of a historic title.
