The Badminton Asia Championships 2025, held at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Ningbo, China, from April 8 to 13, has already delivered a series of jaw-dropping upsets as of April 10, 2025. With a prize pool of US$500,000 and top-tier talent on display, the 42nd edition of this prestigious tournament promised high-octane action—but few anticipated the seismic shocks that would unfold in the early rounds. From Indian stalwarts crashing out to unexpected exits by reigning champions, the championships have set the stage for a wildly unpredictable week.
In This Article:
Indian Hopes Dashed Early
India’s campaign, headlined by PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, and Lakshya Sen, hit turbulence on Day 1, April 9. HS Prannoy, ranked World No. 17 and a Commonwealth Games gold medalist, suffered a disheartening first-round exit against China’s Lu Guang Zu. The match, lasting 68 minutes, saw Prannoy fight back to level the score at 1-1 after losing the opener 16-21, only to falter 11-21 in the decider. This marks his fourth opening-round defeat in six tournaments this year, raising concerns about his form following a bout with Chikungunya last season.
Lakshya Sen, India’s top-ranked men’s singles player at World No. 16 and a Paris 2024 semifinalist, also stumbled early. Facing Chinese Taipei’s Lee Chia-Hao (World No. 14), Sen lost 18-21, 10-21 in a one-sided affair after a competitive first game. Lee, riding high from an All England final appearance earlier this year, exploited Sen’s inconsistencies, handing him a second straight loss in their head-to-head. Indian fans, who pinned Olympic-sized hopes on Sen, were left reeling as his struggles continued.
PV Sindhu, the two-time Olympic medalist ranked 17th, provided a glimmer of hope by advancing to the second round on April 9 with a 21-15, 21-19 win over Indonesia’s Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo. However, her next challenge—Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, World No. 4—looms large on April 10, testing her ongoing quest for consistency post-injury. With Aakarshi Kashyap (21-13, 21-7 to Han Yue) and Anupama Upadhyaya also bowing out early, Sindhu remains India’s last woman standing in singles.
Global Giants Stumble
The shocks weren’t limited to India. China’s mixed doubles pair Guo Xinwa and Chen Fanghui, fresh off their All England Open triumph in March, crashed out in the first round on April 9. Facing Chinese Taipei’s Ye Hong Wei and Nicole Gonzales Chan, the duo squandered a chance to build on their recent success, falling 19-21, 21-13, 19-21 in a thrilling three-game battle. Guo later admitted, “We’re still chasing consistency. Top players don’t blink—we will train harder,” reflecting the frustration of a team expected to dominate.
Elsewhere, the absence of defending men’s doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty due to injury opened the door for chaos in the draw, but few predicted the scale of early exits among other favorites. The tournament’s Super 1000 status, offering critical BWF ranking points, amplifies the impact of these upsets as players vie for momentum ahead of the season’s bigger battles.
Bright Spots Amid the Chaos
Not all was gloom for India. Kiran George, ranked lower but brimming with grit, stormed into the pre-quarterfinals with a 21-16, 21-8 rout of Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Panarin on April 9. His reward? A daunting clash with Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, an Olympic silver medalist, on April 10. Priyanshu Rajawat also kept the flag flying, staging a comeback against Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen (20-22, 21-12, 21-10) to reach the second round, where he faces Japan’s Kodai Naraoka, a 2023 World Championships finalist.
In men’s doubles, India’s Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi capitalized on the depleted field, cruising past Sri Lanka’s Madhuka Dulanjana and Lahiru Weerasinghe 21-3, 21-12. Their next test against Malaysia’s former world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik promises fireworks.
What’s Next?
As Day 2 unfolds on April 10, all eyes are on Sindhu’s blockbuster showdown with Yamaguchi—their 26th career meeting and first since July 2023. Sindhu leads their head-to-head 14-11, but Yamaguchi’s recent form makes her a formidable foe. A win could signal Sindhu’s return to the elite, while a loss might deepen India’s woes in Ningbo.
The Badminton Asia Championships 2025 has already defied expectations, with top seeds tumbling and underdogs seizing the spotlight. With the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals still ahead—culminating on April 13—the tournament is poised for more twists. Will the favorites regroup, or will new names etch their legacy in Ningbo? One thing is clear: this year’s championships are rewriting the script, one shocker at a time.
-By Manoj H
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