Viransh Shah
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
‘Probably, nobody expected him to reach the final’. This was the key assessment from Sagar Chopda, the head coach at the Centre for Badminton Excellence, Bengaluru, about young shuttler Ayush Shetty’s recent giant strides in Ningbo, China.
The 20-year-old prodigy defeated three top-10 shuttlers in China’s world No. 7 Li Shi Feng (round of 32), Indonesia’s world No. 4 Jonatan Christie (quarterfinal), and Thailand’s world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn (semifinal) before going down to China’s Shi Yuqi in the final to settle for a silver medal. The Karnataka-born player became only the second Indian to feature in a final of the continental championship event after Dinesh Khanna won gold in 1965.
However, Ayush endured a tough start to the 2026 season, having exited in four first rounds (India Open, Indonesia Masters, All England and Swiss Open) and made two second-round appearances (Malaysia Open and Orleans Masters). He entered the event during a rough patch and low on confidence. Sagar believes that his protégé found momentum at the right time to announce his potential to the world.
“It was an extremely remarkable performance for Ayush. He played incredibly well throughout the week. Winning against three top-10 players — including the world No. 1 — speaks volumes about his potential,” Sagar told Lokmat Times in a telephonic interview from Bengaluru.
Sagar said Ayush told him that he was nervous while facing Shi Yuqi in the final as the Chinese shuttler never gave him any opportunity to settle in their 42-minute contest. However, the Bengaluru-based coach said the recent run will add a world of confidence to the Indian, particularly after his smart moves against Kunlavut and Christie, including taking short breaks during rallies to manage pressure.
‘Ayush is prone to injury’
Sagar mentioned that Ayush had to work on his fitness levels, including lower body strength, to overcome his dip in form. The coach expressed concern over Ayush being prone to injury given his physique.
“And Ayush's body type is such that he is extremely tall, like 6'4". So, he is prone to injuries. That is something that he will have to be extremely careful about throughout his career,” Sagar said.
World junior success
Ayush was groomed by G. Krishnakumar at i-Sports Academy in Bengaluru. He moved to the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (now known as the Centre of Badminton Excellence) in 2021 to advance his skills. In 2023, Ayush claimed the bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA.
He won his first major BWF title at the US Open 2025 after prevailing over Canada’s Brian Yang in the final. He has also earned a maiden call-up to India’s squad for the upcoming Thomas Cup 2026, starting April 24 in Denmark.