Ayush Shetty Exits BWF World Championships After Tough Match Against Alwi Farhan

Ayush Shetty's journey at the BWF World Championships came to an end as he faced Alwi Farhan in the pre-quarterfinals, losing in straight games. Despite a strong start, Ayush couldn't maintain his momentum, leading to a disappointing exit for India's men's singles campaign. The day was challenging for Indian badminton, with mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also bowing out. However, there was a silver lining as Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced to the quarterfinals in women's doubles. The competition continues with PV Sindhu and the men's doubles team set to compete later.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 20, 2026, 23:36 IST

Ayush Shetty's World Championships Journey Concludes

In New Delhi, Ayush Shetty's remarkable run at the BWF World Championships came to an abrupt halt in the pre-quarterfinals. The World No. 22 faced a challenging match against Indonesia's Alwi Farhan, ultimately losing with scores of 19-21, 11-21 on Thursday.

Competing in front of a supportive home crowd at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Ayush initially showed promise in the first game but struggled to maintain his performance against Alwi's swift play, as reported by ESPN.

After a stunning victory over World No. 1 Shi Yuqi in the previous round, Ayush began the match strongly but found it difficult to keep pace with Alwi's agility and strategic movements.

Despite a valiant effort to recover from a 14-18 deficit to lead 19-18 in the first game, Ayush was unable to secure the win, allowing Alwi to clinch three consecutive points and take the game 21-19.

The second game was dominated by Alwi, who effectively controlled the rallies and consistently pressured Ayush. The Indonesian targeted Ayush's right hip with powerful smashes and capitalized on his short lifts, establishing a significant lead.

Alwi's ability to maneuver Ayush around the court allowed him to dictate the pace, leading to a swift 21-11 victory in the second game, thus advancing to the quarterfinals.

This defeat marked the end of India's men's singles campaign at the World Championships, following Lakshya Sen's earlier exit against World No. 92 Garret Tan from the USA.

Ayush's loss was part of a challenging day for India, as mixed doubles duo Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto also fell short, losing 16-21, 5-21 to China's Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui in the Round of 16.

On a brighter note, the women's doubles team of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured their spot in the quarterfinals with a convincing 21-16, 21-12 victory over Japan's seventh-seeded pair, Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi.

Ranked 39th in the world, the Indian duo showcased a strong performance as they aim for a medal at the World Championships, especially following Treesa's recovery from injury.

PV Sindhu was also set to compete against China's Wang Zhiyi in her Round of 16 match, while men's doubles team Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were preparing to face Malaysia's Yap Roy King and Junaidi Arif later that day.