India's 20-year-old shuttler Ayush Shetty, who beat world number four Jonatan Christie to reach the men's singles semi-finals of the Badminton Asia Championships 2026, was born in Karnataka's Karkala. He began playing at seven, often with his father in their backyard. Shetty's first major domestic milestone came in 2022, when he won the All India Junior Ranking Tournament in Bengaluru.