Ayush Shetty beat pressure all by himself at US Open: Mom
They recalled the sacrifices and relentless discipline that shaped Ayush's journey. Ayush began playing badminton at the age of eight, following his father's game in their backyard. In 2013, at just eight years old, he entered his first tournament- a district-level competition in Udupi. Ayush won the title despite never having received formal coaching till then.
His mother speaking to TNIE on Tuesday recalled how quickly the journey of Ayush picked up pace. 'By 2016, he had topped the state rankings in the under 13 and 15 categories,' she said. His initial training began at John's Academy in Karkala, then at Badminton Mangaluru on alternate days.
'Even when he lost matches, he never let it break him. He would take the pressure, process it quietly and bounce back stronger. That is his strength- his inner drive to keep growing' she added.
As Ayush continued winning at state-ranking events, the family decided to move to Bengaluru for better exposure. In Bengaluru, Ayush trained under Mohith Kamath at Badyzone, then with Krishna Kumar at iSports for four years. After Class 10, he joined the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, where he has been training for five years now under top coaches Vimal Kumar and Sagar Chopda. A former student of Prakruti National School, Sanoor, Karkala, Ayush excelled in studies too. Though he began a B.Sc in Sports Science at Reva University, he later took up a job with Kolkata Railways as a catering inspector and is now pursuing B.Com from the University of Mysore through distance education. 'Ayush has always been calm, focused and determined' said Shalmili.
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New Indian Express
13 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Ayush Shetty beat pressure all by himself at US Open: Mom
UDUPI: When Ayush Shetty clinched a noteworthy victory at the US Open Super 300 event, there was quiet pride and deep satisfaction in his home in Sanoor, Karkala, in Udupi district. His father, Ramprakash Shetty, a businessman, marked his son's achievement with a temple visit in Kerala, while his mother Shalmili and younger sister Aadhya celebrated with heartfelt joy at home. They recalled the sacrifices and relentless discipline that shaped Ayush's journey. Ayush began playing badminton at the age of eight, following his father's game in their backyard. In 2013, at just eight years old, he entered his first tournament- a district-level competition in Udupi. Ayush won the title despite never having received formal coaching till then. His mother speaking to TNIE on Tuesday recalled how quickly the journey of Ayush picked up pace. 'By 2016, he had topped the state rankings in the under 13 and 15 categories,' she said. His initial training began at John's Academy in Karkala, then at Badminton Mangaluru on alternate days. 'Even when he lost matches, he never let it break him. He would take the pressure, process it quietly and bounce back stronger. That is his strength- his inner drive to keep growing' she added. As Ayush continued winning at state-ranking events, the family decided to move to Bengaluru for better exposure. In Bengaluru, Ayush trained under Mohith Kamath at Badyzone, then with Krishna Kumar at iSports for four years. After Class 10, he joined the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy, where he has been training for five years now under top coaches Vimal Kumar and Sagar Chopda. A former student of Prakruti National School, Sanoor, Karkala, Ayush excelled in studies too. Though he began a in Sports Science at Reva University, he later took up a job with Kolkata Railways as a catering inspector and is now pursuing from the University of Mysore through distance education. 'Ayush has always been calm, focused and determined' said Shalmili.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Time of India
Sleepless nights and silent cheers, Ayush Shetty's mom says it's the best moment of her life
1 2 Udupi: As Ayush Shetty lifted his maiden senior title at the US Open Super 300 Tournament, the moment was celebrated quietly- but emotionally - at his home in Sanoor, Karkala. While Ramprakash Shetty, a businessman, marked his son Ayush's historic win with a temple visit in Kerala, Shalmili Shetty, his mother, and Ayush's younger sister, Aadhya, celebrated the moment in quiet joy, cherishing the reward of years of dedication. Shalmili, a homemaker, spent sleepless nights for over a week. "We get too nervous, so we do not watch his matches live. After winning the title, when Ayush called at around 3am on Monday and simply said, 'I won,' we just screamed with joy and thanked God. It is the best moment of our lives so far," she recalled, her voice still brimming with relief. Shalmili told TOI: "He started playing badminton when he was just eight, inspired by his father, who used to play in the backyard. But when he won his very first district-level tournament in Udupi, without any formal coaching, we knew he had something special. My husband then took him to a few more local tournaments in Mangaluru, and he began winning consistently." His formal training began at John's Academy in Karkala, followed by coaching at Badminton Mangaluru every alternate day. As his game progressed, he began competing in state-ranking tournaments and became Karnataka's No. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like They Were So Beautiful Before; Now Look At Them; Number 10 Will Shock You Reportingly Undo 1 player in his age group within three years. By the time he was in Class 5, many advised the family to shift to a bigger city for better training. "So Ayush, his sister, and I moved to Bengaluru," Shalmili said. He first trained under Mohith Kamath at Badyzone and later under Krishna Kumar at iSports for four years. When he completed Class 10, the family decided to enrol him at Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), where he has now been training for five years under top coaches Vimal Kumar and Sagar Chopda. Ayush completed his Class 10 from Prakruti National School, Sanoor, and PU from Reva College, Bengaluru. He is currently pursuing a BCom degree via distance education from the University of Mysore. "It has been a tough road, especially coming from a village. But Ayush is incredibly hardworking and always dreams big. He listens to his coaches and never misses a session," she said. In the junior category, Ayush won bronze at the World Junior Championships. But transitioning to the senior level brought fresh challenges. At the Chinese Taipei Open, he reached the semifinals but lost to Chou Tien Chen. "That made this US Open win even sweeter because this time, he defeated him," she said. Ayush also excelled in academics and was a class topper until Class 9. "At one point, we were not sure whether to focus on studies or sports. It was Ayush who said, 'Let me prove that choosing badminton was the right decision,'" she said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Doctor's Day 2025 , messages and quotes!
India Today
a day ago
- 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
