Rising star Ayush Shetty signs off with silver in memorable Asia championships campaign

India’s young shuttler Ayush Shetty signed off with a silver medal at the Badminton Asia Championships, ending his impressive giant killing run after a straight games defeat to China’s world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi in the final on Sunday.

The 20 year old from Mangalore struggled to find rhythm against the reigning world champion, going down 8-21, 10-21 in a one sided contest where the Chinese star controlled proceedings from start to finish.

Despite the loss, Ayush’s campaign stood out as a breakthrough performance . Entering the tournament unseeded, he stunned several higher ranked opponents to storm into the final and announce his arrival on the continental stage in style.

With this feat, he became only the second Indian men’s singles player to reach the final of the prestigious event, after Dinesh Khanna , who remains India’s only champion in the category since his title win in 1965 .

India’s long wait for a men’s singles gold at the continental level continues for over six decades, even as doubles success has brought glory in recent years. The pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty had lifted the title in 2023 , marking a high point for Indian badminton.

Though the final did not go his way, Ayush Shetty’s silver medal run is being seen as a strong sign of promise for the future of Indian singles badminton, hinting at a new contender emerging on the big stage.