THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
NINGBO
(CHINA), APRIL 10, 2026
Rising Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty assured
the country of a medal at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 after producing
a superb performance to defeat World No. 4 and Olympian Jonatan Christie 23-21,
21-17 in the men’s singles quarterfinals on Friday.
The 20-year-old
Indian, who had clinched a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Championships
2023, displayed exceptional composure in a tightly contested opening game.
Shetty saved two game points, squandered one opportunity himself, but held his
nerve to edge ahead 23-21.
The second game
witnessed intense rallies with both players locked level on several occasions
before Shetty inched ahead 10-9. Maintaining his momentum, the youngster
controlled the pace of the contest and sealed the match 21-17 in 54 minutes to
set up a semifinal clash against World No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
Shetty has been in
commanding form throughout the tournament, not dropping a single game so far.
On his way to the semifinals, he also defeated World No. 7 Li Shi Feng and
Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu Jen in the earlier rounds, underlining his growing
stature on the international circuit.
Picture Credit
- Badminton Asia Championships
