The Badminton Asia Championships 2026 get underway on April 7 at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre in China, bringing together the continent’s elite in what remains one of the toughest tournaments outside the Olympics and World Championships.
For India, the spotlight will inevitably fall on the men’s singles draw, and on Lakshya Sen, a player whose continental record stands in sharp contrast to his global rise.
This is the 43rd edition of the championships, organised by Badminton Asia, with a total prize purse of USD 550,000. Beyond the stakes of silverware, it serves as a crucial ranking points opportunity on the road to LA28.
Yet, for all its prestige, the event has consistently been a stumbling block for India’s top shuttler, a stage where promise has repeatedly given way to early exits.
Lakshya Sen: Unfinished business in Ningbo
Sen is the headliner, and his Asia Championships record demands scrutiny.
At the 2022 edition in Manila, Sen arrived as a fifth seed with genuine medal hopes fresh off an All-England final appearance and a historic Thomas Cup gold. He was stunned in the opening round by the unseeded Li Shi Feng of China, losing 21-12, 10-21, 19-21 in 56 minutes. A shocking early exit for someone who had just established himself among Asia’s elite.
In 2023, held in Dubai, there was little improvement. Sen lost in the opening round to World No. 7 Loh Kean Yew of Singapore, 7-21, 21-23, a collapse in the first game before a spirited but ultimately insufficient fightback. The seven-point opener underlined a recurring issue: an inability to find rhythm at this tournament.
The 2024 edition, again in Ningbo, brought more of the same. Sen faced top seed Shi Yu Qi and lost in straight games. He was one of three Indian men’s singles players to fall at the first hurdle that day.
Then came 2025, at the same venue, with a familiar face across the net. Sen was knocked out in the first round by World No. 14 Lee Chia-hao of Chinese Taipei.
The opening game was tightly contested, locked at 18-18 before Lee reeled off three consecutive points to take it. The second game proved more one-sided, as Sen went down 21-18, 21-10.
Four editions. Four first-round exits. Li Shi Feng, Loh Kean Yew, Shi Yu Qi, Lee Chia-hao, all quality opponents.
But each defeat reinforces the same reality: at the Asia Championships, Lakshya Sen has never found his best.
A different Lakshya this time?
There is, however, a compelling case that 2026 is different, and it goes beyond just the racket.
At the All England Open last month, Sen knocked out World No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yuqi in the first round. He then beat sixth-ranked Li Shi Feng in the quarterfinals before surviving a gruelling 97-minute semifinal against Canada’s Victor Lai, battling through cramps and blisters to reach the final.
He eventually lost to Lin Chun-Yi 21-15, 22-20, but the run itself, featuring back-to-back wins over top opponents at a Super 1000 event, was a statement.
What has changed behind the scenes is just as significant. Mental conditioning coach Mon Nimrod Brokman, a former commander in the Special Forces unit of the Israeli Air Force and a former competitive fencer, has been working closely with Sen since last year to sharpen his psychological and cognitive preparation.
Lakshya has credited Brokman for helping him make tangible gains in his mental game: composure in tight moments, the ability to reset after errors, and the clarity to execute under pressure. The All England run, where he absorbed pressure, played through physical discomfort, and repeatedly found solutions, reflected a player whose mindset is beginning to match his talent.
Which makes his 2026 draw both fascinating and, frankly, a little cruel. He faces Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hongkong China in the opening round with a 2-3 head-to-head deficit.
PV Sindhu: Familiar ceiling, new opponent
PV Sindhu brings a far richer Asia Championships record than most. She won bronze medals in 2014 and 2022 and has consistently reached the later rounds.
In 2023 in Dubai, she made the quarterfinals before losing to World No. 2 An Se Young 21-18, 5-21, 9-21, her sixth straight defeat to the South Korean. In 2024, she fell in the Round of 16 to China’s Han Yue 18-21, 21-13, 17-21, her first loss to the Chinese shuttler in six meetings. At the 2025 edition, she again exited in the Round of 16, going down to World No. 4 Akane Yamaguchi 12-21, 21-16, 16-21.
The pattern is clear: the Round of 16 has become a recurring ceiling in recent editions.
This year, she opens against Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching, a relatively favourable first-round opponent on paper. If she progresses, the real tests will follow quickly in a stacked draw.
Elsewhere in women’s singles, Unnati Hooda faces Thailand’s Supanida Katethong, Tanvi Sharma takes on Malaysia’s K. Letshanaa, and Malvika Bansod meets Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand, a tricky test against an experienced opponent.
The rest of the men’s singles draw
Beyond Sen, India has depth in men’s singles.
Kidambi Srikanth faces Japan’s Koki Watanabe in the opening round, while rising talent Ayush Shetty takes on fifth seed Li Shi Feng of China. Shetty has shown promise at this level, and this presents a genuine opportunity to announce himself on the continental stage.
HS Prannoy, still working his way back after a chikungunya-affected stretch, receives a bye in the first round. He will face the Group B winner in round two, a slightly gentler pathway that may help him ease back into rhythm.
Priyanshu Rajawat takes on Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen, while Kiran George has a comparatively favourable opener against a qualifier.
The Men’s Doubles Gap and the Mixed Doubles Story
India’s men’s doubles campaign is defined by absence more than presence. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have withdrawn, with Rankireddy’s recurring shoulder injury resurfacing at a difficult time. Their absence leaves a significant gap, as they would have been genuine medal contenders.
Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun face top seeds Kim Won Ho and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea in the opening round. Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Sai Pratheek K take on sixth seeds Man Wei Chong and Kai Wun Tee of Malaysia.
In mixed doubles, India’s history at the Asia Championships has been modest, with most pairs exiting early. The 2025 edition, however, offered a rare highlight. Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto reached the quarterfinals before losing to World No. 6 Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet of Hong Kong, 22-20, 21-13.
That remains one of India’s deepest runs in the discipline at this event.
This year, Kapila and Crasto opened against Thailand’s P. Horbanluekit and Benyapa Aimsaard. Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani will face eighth seeds Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie of Malaysia.
The draw is challenging, and matching last year’s quarterfinal run would already be a strong outcome.
Where to watch
Fans can watch all the action on the YouTube channel of Badminton Asia
Comments are closed.