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New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
World C'ships an opportunity for Lakshya to turn things around: Coach Vimal
CHENNAI: The season so far has been an immense slog for badminton ace Lakshya Sen. Victories have been at a premium and the shuttler, despite his unarguable talent, has largely been at sea while trying to navigate high-intensity matches inside the court. But that narrative can change in no time. With the all-important World Championships in Paris around the corner, Lakshya will be hoping to buck the trend. With the gold-standard event in mind, the shuttler from Almora is currently training in Paris alongside some of the elite French players. The Indian, who celebrated his 24th birthday on August 16, will be returning to a venue — Porte de La Chapelle Arena — where he had narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal last year. Having said that, he has also tasted success there, having reached the semifinals of the French Open in summer last year. And the Indian had shown some form during his last outing — Macau Open, gaining crucial match-practice in the process. However, he has to be near-flawless from the onset during the BWF Grade 1 event — scheduled to be held from August 25 to 31 — as he will be facing China's Shi Yu Qi, who has been one of the standouts of the season so far with four titles to his name. The odds are clearly stacked against Lakshya but a victory against the World No 1 shuttler could just be the kick he needs. U Vimal Kumar, Lakshya's coach at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), concurred. "It's an opportunity (for Lakshya). That's what I told him the moment I saw the draw. He said everything is going well. Shi Yu Qi is someone whom he has beaten before. The top-30 players who'll be playing in the event, Lakshya has beaten all of them. He can beat any of them but he has to convert his chances. The top guys are also vulnerable and they'll be under pressure. Shi can also be under pressure. He knows Lakshya's strengths and it's going to be a tough match. If Lakshya can play fearlessly and pull off a win, it will be a good breakthrough," Vimal told this daily. Lakshya this season has either struggled to get his engine burning, going by his early exits or he has seemed to be lacking ideas during the business end of sweat-dripping matches. Vimal, who has been regularly looking to motivate his ward, said that is the issue that he's trying to address at the moment. "He needs match-practice. Training is not new, he has been doing that for long. He has been looking to work on dealing with different situations, how you employ yourself and pull off wins. He has been faltering in those closing stages. That is an area that they're trying to get better at, to understand when to push the pace, when to keep the shuttle in play without making mistakes when under pressure. That he can only gain in the practice that he's getting over there as there are quite a lot of other elite players who're also practising there. He has to figure things out, everything can't be coached."
Time of India
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Rajasthan State Ranking Badminton: Manish Phogat, Parul Choudhary, Somyaa Bhatnagar bag maiden singles titles; Jangjeet Singh Kajla wins double crown
Jaipur: Top seed Manish Phogat lived up to his billing to claim his maiden men's singles title in the Rajasthan State Ranking Badminton tournament which concluded at the Sawai Man Singh Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday. Nineteen-year-old Manish overcame mid-match slump to stop the impressive run of unseeded Kartik Jain in a well-contested summit clash. Manish, a trainee of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, displayed an excellent all-round performance to secure a 21-7, 16-21, 21-8 win in the final. Before entering the final, Kartik had knocked out two seeded players -- Daksh Bhati in the quarters and Aryan Tyagi in the semis. However, the Jaipur lad found Manish too hot to handle despite winning the second game. As expected, the women's singles crown was grabbed by unseeded Parul Choudhary, who outclassed top seed Suhasi Verma 21-8, 21-8 without much discomfort. Playing her first Senior State tourney, international shuttler Parul made it memorable with her maiden title at the senior category. However, top seed Parul of Churu retired in the U-19 girls singles final against Somyaa Bhatnagar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo Jaipur girl Somyaa was leading 5-3 in the first game when southpaw Parul decided to concede the match citing severe pain in her legs. After finishing runner-up in the women's singles last year, it was Somyaa's first junior state singles title. In the U-19 boys singles final, second seed Gurtej Singh Vasir staged a remarkable comeback to down fifth seed Jangjeet Singh Kajla 17-21, 21-14, 21-9. However, Jangjeet clinched a double crown by emerging champion in the U-19 boys doubles with Arnav Sharma and U-19 mixed doubles with Kavya Swami. Manish, who was one of the chief architects of Rajasthan winning the North Zone title last year, was delighted to win his maiden men's singles title. "It's a very good feeling to be a state senior champion. I was the state junior champion earlier and wanted to win in the senior section as well. My opponent in the final Kartik won the second game because I was feeling tired after playing a couple of tough matches in the last few days. I hope to carry my fine form in the upcoming All India tournaments," Manish told TOI after the triumph. Rajasthan's top two singles players -- Sanskar Saraswat and Pranay Katta -- surprisingly decided to skip the tournament. Results (Finals) Men's singles: 1-Manish Phogat bt Kartik Jain 21-7, 16-21, 21-8 Women's singles: Parul Choudhary bt 1-Suhasi Verma 21-8, 21-8 Men's doubles: 1-Aryan Tyagi-Murli Sharma bt Q-Bhuvan Singh-Raj Shukla 21-15, 21-8 Women's doubles: 3-Shairil Choudhary-Uthsava Palit bt 1-Bhawna Sharma-Suman Sharma 21-9, 21-19 Mixed doubles: 1-Harsh Chaplot-Anandita Tamra bt Sachin Jhajharia-Tanisha Singh 21-13, 21-19 U-19 boys singles: 2-Gurtej Singh Vasir bt 5-Jangjeet Singh Kajla 17-21, 21-14, 21-9 U-19 boys doubles: 1-Arnav Sharma-Jangjeet Singh Kajla bt Gurtej Singh Vasir-Yash Soni 21-19, 21-10 U-19 girls singles: 5-Somyaa Bhatnagar bt 1-Parul Choudhary 5-3 (Retired) U-19 girls doubles: 1-Mokshitha Bhardawaj-Tanishka Yadav bt 2-Aditi Sharma-Sakshi Singh 21-14, 21-18 U-19 mixed doubles: 2-Jangjeet Singh Kajla-Kavya Swami bt 1-Murli Sharma-Suhasi Verma 21-19, 21-18.
India Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Tall, fierce and focused: Ayush Shetty reminds Viktor Axelsen of his younger self
At 6-foot-4, Ayush Shetty cuts an imposing figure on the badminton court. His lean frame, steep jump smashes, and improved court coverage have caught attention of the world. Many have begun noting the resemblance to Denmark's towering Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. The comparisons, of course, stop at the surface. While Axelsen has already conquered the sport, Ayush is just beginning to find his footing on the senior circuit. But there's no mistaking it: the 20-year-old from Mangalore is rising, and rising first big marker came at the US Open Super 300 in Iowa this June. In the semi-finals, Shetty faced off against World No. 6 Chou Tien Chen in a gripping three-game encounter. At one point, a 39-shot rally showed just how far Ayush has come: from being known for his aggressive attacking play to now demonstrating resilience, composed play from the back of the court, and mature shot selection. His hustle, including a beyond-believable flick from the back of the court while being off balance, earned him a sensational point and, eventually, a statement action sees Chou Tien Chen and Ayush Shetty go the distance.#BWFWorldTour #USOpen2025 BWF (@bwfmedia) June 29, 2025In the final on Sunday, he beat Canada's Brian Yang to claim his maiden senior international title, making him the first Indian to win a BWF Tour title in It was a breakthrough week for the 20-year-old, who has shown more than once this year that he has the ability to battle with the best at the highest level.'Ayush is from Mangalore, from a middle-class family,' recalls Vimal Kumar, former coach and one of the founders of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, where Ayush now trains.'He moved to Bangalore about seven or eight years ago, when he was still an early teenager. Initially, he was training under Krishna Kumar at I-Sports — a very good feeder in Karnataka. We have an understanding with I-Sports — when players are good, they come and train here because we have better facilities. That's how Ayush came to our academy about five years back.'I-Sports and krishna Kumar got it spot on once again. At PPBA, Ayush thrived. After beginning his badminton journey at the age of eight, inspired by his father, Ayush's training and intensity sharpened. In 2023, he won bronze at the BWF World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA — only the sixth Indian to do so in men's singles.'Ayush was a junior champion and a couple of years ago, he got that World Junior bronze. This year, I feel he's done well on the world stage — at the Orleans Masters, Chinese Taipei... He has beaten players like Loh Kean Yew, Rasmus Gemke and Kidambi Srikanth. That's a good indication,' says VIKTOR AXELSENadvertisementA lot of Ayush's improvement has come through intentional exposure to world-class training.'Last year, before the Olympics, we took him for a three-week training programme in Marseille with Lakshya Sen,' Vimal says."He trained with the Popov brothers — Toma and Christo — and that gave him a lot of confidence. Prior to that, we also sent him to Dubai to train with Viktor Axelsen when Viktor was based there. Viktor was quite impressed. He said, 'Ayush reminds me of my younger days', because both are tall, Ayush is 6'4", just like Viktor.'With that physical presence comes a unique challenge, and a massive opportunity.A GOOD BADMINTON BRAIN'As a tall player, Ayush did face challenges,' admits Vimal. 'Earlier, he was vulnerable defensively, especially when opponents attacked his body or played parallel shots. But this year, he's worked a lot on his defence and improved. He's bridged those areas. He's got a good badminton brain.'That 'badminton brain' has become one of Ayush's defining assets, helping him adapt, mix his game, and not rely only on his power. Against Chou Tien Chen in Iowa, it was clear he could stay in the rallies and not just try to blow opponents off the singles, the net game and defence are vital. He used to only play at the net and try to hit his way out, but players were reading him. Now, he's playing long rallies, lifting to the back, mixing it up. That's important. His smashes are still some of the hardest on the circuit — and if he finds more consistency with his angles, like Viktor, he'll be very hard to beat.'Still, there are a lot of areas to improve. Afterall, Ayush is just beginning to get a feel of what it is to battle against and beat the best.'His core strength and leg stability need work because he's lanky,' Vimal explains. 'Sometimes he hits a bit wild, but with more matches, he'll refine that.'LEARNING TO FLY SOLOIn a bold move, Ayush's team sent him to the North American leg of the season, including the US Open and Canada Open, without a coach or support it was a deliberate call,' Vimal confirmed.'We wanted him to take more responsibility and see how he copes. These days, players have personal coaches and trainers — but this was a good test. We're quite happy he's managing on his own.'That independence is showing. After cracking the world's top 35, Ayush now has a target: break into the top 25 to consistently play Super 500, 750, and 1000-level GOOD COMPANYAt the Padukone Academy, Ayush trains alongside Kiran George and others under the watchful eye of coach Sagar Chopda.'There's been good progress,' Vimal says. 'I was especially pleased with the match he played against Chou Tien Chen — he lost the first narrowly, but came back really well. That shows good temperament. It's not easy to beat a player like Chou.'The Indian men's singles scene is stacked with talent — Lakshya Sen, Kiran George, Priyanshu Rajawat — but Vimal believes it's players like Ayush who now must push through.'At 19-20, you have to do that — like Lakshya did a couple of years ago. We have players stuck in the 30s (ranking), and I hope they come out of that. These four — Ayush, Lakshya, Kiran, Priyanshu — can take over from the current generation.'advertisementThe camaraderie among them is strong. 'Yes, they stay in touch. Today also we exchanged messages after watching his match last night. We told him not to celebrate too much — there are still five matches to go in Canada!' Vimal US Open title has marked him as India's next big hope. The Viktor Axelsen references may keep surfacing — but Ayush isn't chasing them. His real challenge begins now: building the mental resilience to block out the noise, the consistency to deliver week after week, and the hunger to keep he's not doing it alone. With a strong support system and a sharp group of peers around him, Ayush has all the tools to build on the spark that he has showed over the last couple of Vimal Kumar puts it: 'He's slowly maturing. I'm happy that at 20, he's won his first tournament and beaten good players. If he finds consistency, I am sure he will win a lot more medals for the country.'- Ends
The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Karnataka's Ayush Shetty wins U.S. Open badminton title
Karnataka found its newest badminton hero in Ayush Shetty, who won the prestigious U.S. Open title at Council Bluffs, Iowa. The 20-year-old Ayush became the first Indian to win a men's singles title since Lakshya Sen's victory at the 2023 Canada Open. Consistent showing Ayush's maiden international triumph came on the back of consistent showings in previous tournaments, where he upset top-tier players like Loh Kean Yew and Kidambi Srikanth. The turning point in Ayush's journey came when he moved to Bengaluru from Karkala around eight years ago. Ayush, keen to pursue the sport seriously, got to work under the guidance of former international shuttler Krishna Kumar at i-SPORTS academy. Ayush performed well at the junior level, and then moved to Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy. With Olympian Vimal Kumar and head coach Sagar Chopda as mentors, Ayush grew in stature. He won a bronze medal at the 2023 World Junior Championships, and finished as runner-up in a couple of international challenge/series tournaments. Ideal platform Sagar believes that this win will serve as the ideal platform for Ayush to achieve greater deeds. 'Before this, he had not won a single international tournament. Considering that, this big win will be a good confidence boost,' Sagar said. Sagar added that these are the first steps towards realising Ayush's big goal — to break into the top-10 in the world rankings. Ayush's grand run received praise from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who posted a congratulatory message on X. 'You have made Karnataka and India proud with your dedication and grit. Your triumph inspires every young aspiring player to dream big and strive hard.' R
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Ayush Shetty wins US Open for India's first title of 2025
NEW DELHI: Ayush Shetty has been able to achieve what no other Indian shuttler has managed so far — win a BWF World Tour title in 2025. PV Sindhu has been far from winning one. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty only managed to reach the semis. Former world No.1 Kidambi Srikanth came the closest when he made the Malaysia Masters final in May. (Yves Lacroix/Badmintonphoto) The deadlock ended when the 20-year-old Shetty stood on the top step of the podium in Council Bluffs, Iowa on Sunday after winning the $240,000 US Open men's singles crown. The second highest ranked Indian shuttler after Lakshya Sen (world No.20), the world No.34 took just 47 minutes to beat third seed Brian Yang 21-18, 21-13 in the final which earned him his third straight victory over the Canadian and the first title of his young senior career. 'He has been showing progress this year. If you look at his performances at the Orleans Masters and Taipei Open (he reached both the semis), he did well. In fact, he has beaten some top-level players like (former world champion) Low Kean Yew and Rasmus Gemke. He has been hitting some good form against top players,' Shetty's coach U Vimal Kumar told HT from Bengaluru. 'But at the US Open, beating (world No.6) Chou Tien Chen, especially in the semi-finals, was very creditable. He could have won in two games because he was up 19-14 in the first game. From there, he lost 23-21. He came back well where I really liked the way he attacked.' Playing in the USA has proved lucky for the lanky Shetty. It was in the US two years back that Shetty first made the headlines when he clinched bronze at the 2023 World Junior Championships. He also made the finals of the Odisha Masters and Bahrain International (both in 2023). Last year, having fully made his move to the senior level, Shetty decided to take part in only lower tier events, making the quarter-finals and semi-finals regularly, and eventually the final at the 2024 Dutch Open. But this year Shetty started playing higher tier events on the BWF World Tour, having the belief of not just challenging but also surprising some of the higher ranked players. 'He is 6'4'. So, he has very, very steep smashes. That unsettles many players. That is one of his strengths. He is also quite good at the net. His defence has improved in the last three or four months as he has consciously been working on it,' added Vimal, who is also a national selector. 'He has really shown some good improvement. I am quite pleased with the way he is playing now. He is making a mark with the title at the world stage. I am quite happy for him.' A product of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in Bengaluru, Shetty trains with Sen, Kiran George and Manraj Singh, among others. After clinching the Super 300 title, he will next take part in this week's $240,000 Canada Open in Markham, also a Super 300 event, where he is seeded fifth and faces compatriot S Sankar Muthusamy in the opener. 'I told him that it is not finished, that he has to try and win the Canada Open too, asking him to remain focused. He has got five more matches to go. I hope he can continue to perform well in the next event as well. The target we have given him is to come into the top 25 by the end of the year,' added Vimal. Tanvi loses in final It was end of the road for 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma, who delivered standout performances the entire week before losing in the women's singles final to top seed and local favourite Beiwen Zhang. India's world No.66 lost 11-21, 21-16, 10-21 in 46 minutes, ending a run that featured some fearless performances as she beat players ranked Nos.23, 40, 50 and 58 en route to the final.
