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India's rising star Ayush Shetty delivered a statement performance, upsetting World No. 7 and Hong Kong Open 2025 champion Li Shi Feng of China in straight games, 21-13, 21-16 in the Badminton Asian Championship.
Despite the former World No.3 Li's strong start in both games, the Indian youngster dominated the later stages to advance to the pre-quarters. In the opening game, Ayush fought back early to level at 4-4, with Li holding a slight edge until 7-7, as per a press release from the Badminton Association of India. From there, the US Open 2025 champion seized control, overpowering the home favourite to take the game 21-13. The second game followed a similar pattern, with Li initially applying pressure and leading into the mid-phase. Ayush, however, drew level multiple times before shifting gears at 13-13. The youngster surged ahead with six consecutive points, closing out the match 21-16 in 51 minutes. India's best-ever performances at the Badminton Asia Championships include two gold medals -- Dinesh Khanna in men's singles (1965) and the Satwik-Chirag duo in men's doubles (2023). Badminton Asia Championships 2026 badminton: India squad Men's singles: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy Men's doubles: Hariharan Amsakarunan-M R Arjun, Pruthvi K R-Sai Pratheek K Women's singles: PV Sindhu, Malvika Bansod, Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma Women's doubles: Kavipriya Selvam-Simran Singhi, Priya Konjengbam-Shruti Mishra, Ashwini Bhat K-S Gautam Mixed doubles: Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor-Ruthvika Shivani, Ashith Surya-Amrutha Pramuthesh. (ANI)
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