‘Extremely happy with that winning shot’: Coach Sagar Chopda lauds Ay…

New Delhi [India], August 17 (ANI): Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty’s coach Sagar Chopda praised the youngster’s composure and talent after his stunning performance against World No. 1 and the defending champion Shi Yu Qi in the Round of 64 match of the BWF World Championships 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Monday.

Shetty held his nerve to produce a stunning winner in the deciding game and knock out Shi Yu Qi in the opening round of the BWF World Championships 2026, winning the match 21-14, 13-21, 21-19. sportbet.reviews

With Shi fighting back and saving four match points, Ayush delivered a deceptive net flick at the crucial moment, shaping to send the shuttle towards the Chinese star’s forehand before changing direction at the last instant to seal a memorable upset, according to a press release from the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

“I am extremely happy the way Ayush played that last shot. I mean, to play that at that moment speaks volumes of his talent," Shetty’s coach Sagar Chopda told BAI.

“He has always been good at that shot. If you look throughout the match, he played at least three or four times, even on the first service receiving. You know, in the third game, he started off with that shot. And again, in the third game, he played that one more time. So he has always been good at that shot. It is something that as kids, maybe you pick it up. It’s not that as coaches, you can teach them this," he said.

“If he had probably kept the shuttle at the net, Shi was ready for it. And that is how Shi scored almost all his 10 previous points. He was much more alert on the net than Ayush. And Ayush was a little jittery. But as soon as he played that shot, I knew that that was the winning moment," he added.

Chopda, who has been working with Ayush for a long time at the academy in Bengaluru, said Shetty was relaxed coming into the match, and working with Indonesia’s Irwansyah has played a big role in making a strong start to the match, as the Indian player led from the first point till the end.

“He used his net shots really well. From the back of the court, he was not in a hurry to hit those hard smashes. He has been very erratic with that shot. So the main thing that we told him was to expect high lifts from Shi. And don’t get hassled by taking that jump and hitting it. He used that really, really well. He mixed his clears because he was playing from the better side. So he used his clears and lifts very well, opening up the court. Overall, it was 10-on-10 in the first game," he said.

“There was never an ounce of doubt in his shots. Coach Irwansyah has been helping him tactically. And they had a long chat yesterday. If you also look at Ayush’s defence today, Shi is one of the best players in the world to have variations from everywhere. From the back of the court, from the net. So Ayush was ready for it. He was really good with his defence," he explained.

Chopda – who rated this as his ward’s best win so far – also shared that coach Vimal Kumar was in the stands watching Shetty’s match and shared important insights. He added that it was important that he now recover and turn his attention to the next round, because the job isn’t done yet. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Melbourne [Australia], August 18 (ANI): Former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell slammed selectors for their poor calls in the aftermath of the loss to Bangladesh at Darwin, calling for some big changes within the set-up.

While Jake Weatherald has been dropped from the second Test, there are still a lot of questions that the Aussie batting needs to answer during their second Test against Bangladesh at Mackay from August 22, where they would be playing to avoid an embarrassing series whitewash, having lost the first Test at Darwin by nine wickets.

Speaking to nine.com.au, Chappell said, “If you pick the wrong people in the first place, you can get into trouble."

“With their selections, they have shown to me that they do not understand things very well."

“To me, it is the selectors who’ve got themselves into this problem. Now they have got to try and find a way out. But I am not convinced that they’re good enough to find a way out," he continued.

Chappell also wants to recall young opener Sam Konstas, who was dropped after a disastrous West Indies tour last year, to return and partner Renshaw at the top, allowing Travis Head to return to his much-productive middle-order slot.

He also said that the selectors should not persist any longer with Marnus Labuschagne at number three; needing no more evidence of his struggles, they should urge Steve Smith to move up to the one-down spot.

Since his final Test ton against England during the Ashes tour to the UK in 2023, Marnus has been averaging 25.23 in Tests, having made just 959 runs across 42 innings, with only nine fifties to his name, with a best score of 90. Patches of brilliance have been there, but with a series against Bangladesh at stake, time seems to be running out for Australia’s premier number three.

Chappell also lambasted selectors’ decision of have all-rounder Beau Webster bat at number seven, despite his average of late 30s and 14 first-class centuries.

“He is there to make centuries, and you are batting him at seven. What is that? That is bulls**t," Chappell said.

While there is hype around Victoria’s rising stars Campbell Kellaway and Oliver Peake, Chappell does not feel they are ready for Tests. Kellaway, 23, averages 31.52 after 44 FC matches, while 19-year-old Peake averages 26 after 14 FC matches.

“I think Kellaway and Peake have got talent, but are they ready? I’m not too sure about that," Chappell said.

“If you look at their Shield record, averages in the 20s should not get you into an Australian side," he added.

He was also very scathing in his assessment of Nathan McSweeney, who had a rough Test outing against India in the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, scoring just 72 runs in three Tests and making just 477 runs in 19 innings across 10 Sheffield Shield matches last season, with just a ton and two fifties.

“He’s not a Test player," Chappell signed off. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Star India opener Rohit Sharma was left stunned after meeting Sunil Rout, one of the ex-India skipper’s die-hard fans, who cycled all the way from Odisha to Mumbai to meet him.

In a viral post uploaded by photographer Viral Bhayani, Rohit is said to have exclaimed: “Baap re baap,” after learning of Rout’s impressive 1800km journey across 24 days.

Rohit warmly hugged Rout who gifted the 2011 World Cup-winner a religious idol and a photo frame.

Boria Majumdar

PV Sindhu had set the stage and the crowd had warmed up nicely by early evening when Ayush Shetty walked on court against No. 1 seed Shi Yu Qi. The Indian was, very clearly, the underdog. But this is the World Championships, and Ayush had no baggage going in. Shi did, and the pressure was all on the Chinese player from point one.

Ayush started brilliantly and, all of a sudden, the fans found their voice. They cheered every point and every stroke as the Indian pushed Shi hard. The Chinese star, despite all his brilliance, had no answer in the opening game, and within 20 minutes Ayush was one game up.

As expected, Shi responded from the better side of the court and forced a decider. By then, every spectator knew they were watching something special.

Ayush matched Shi toe-to-toe and refused to concede an inch. He defended superbly and, most importantly, kept a lid on his emotions. With such overwhelming home support, it would have been easy to get carried away. Instead, Ayush remained composed, and midway through the decider the stadium sensed that something extraordinary was unfolding.

Every point was greeted with raucous applause. Ayush was in complete control at 17-7, and the result appeared almost inevitable.

Then came the fightback.

Shi produced a remarkable comeback as Ayush made a few errors under pressure. The score moved from 20-15 to 20-18, and another point brought the Chinese player within one of forcing a tie-break. The Indian coaching unit was tense, urging Ayush on, while the youngster himself looked increasingly frustrated.

One more point for Shi could have changed everything. Five straight points would have given the world No. 1 enormous momentum.

Instead, Ayush produced the shot of his life.

His push found Shi wrong-footed before the shuttle was sent over the Chinese player and into the back court. In a flash, the biggest upset of the day was complete. Ayush had taken down the world champion and given the home crowd a moment to savour.

There could not have been a better start to the home World Championships.

A week ago, Pullela Gopichand had told me that it was better for Ayush to play Shi early rather than deeper into the tournament. His words proved prophetic as the Indian youngster gave the fans a new hero to cheer.

In a fantastic facility in New Delhi, the Indians ruled the day. No langurs, no delays, just pure sport. Much like Ayush himself. No frills attached.

There was no wild celebration at the end, either. Ayush may have beaten the world No. 1, but he knows the tournament has only just begun. The draw will now open up for him and, with the crowd firmly behind him, he will fancy his chances of going deeper.

For now, it is Ayush Shetty time.

Indian men’s badminton has a new star on the block, and New Delhi has witnessed the making of an unlikely hero. Against all odds, Ayush has defeated the best player in the world and, in doing so, given himself a genuine chance to make history.

Follow Revsportz for latest sports news

The post Ayush Shetty’s Giant-killing of World No. 1 Shi Yu Qi Gives Delhi a New Badminton Hero appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

Capri Sports has launched Nova Sports, a girls-only football development initiative aimed at creating a structured pathway for girls in India to progress from grassroots participation to elite football.

The initiative, built around the philosophy of “Girls first. Always.”, will initially focus on girls aged 8 to 18 and combine coaching, competition and long-term player development. The first step will be the Super Nova Football Championship, a seven-a-side schools’ tournament across the U13, U15 and U17 age groups, scheduled for September 5 and 6 in Bengaluru.

Speaking exclusively to RevSportz, Apurv Gupta, Director, Contact Sports, Capri Sports, explained that Nova Sports is designed as more than a grassroots programme.

“Nova Sports was launched with a view that we wanted to build a pathway that allows every girl to pursue football, at any level,” Gupta said. “Nova Sports is girls first, always, which essentially means that every decision that we take with everything that we plan is built keeping in mind what our athletes need.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbx3jy-jH_c/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

The pathway will operate across two interconnected tracks: development and participation. The development side will begin with grassroots schools and academies before moving towards performance centres and eventually elite residential academies. The participation track will provide regular competitive opportunities so players can put their training into practice.

Gupta believes the focus on women’s football comes at an important time for the sport in India. While investment in men’s football has grown considerably, he feels women’s football still has significant room for development.

“If we look at women’s football globally, it’s expanding, it’s rapidly growing,” he said. “And if you double click on India as a nation, women’s football has not had deep, deep sort of investment.”

A key difference, according to Gupta, will be the programme’s attempt to build its methods around the specific needs of female athletes rather than simply adapting existing boys’ programmes.

“We want to contextualise all of that to India because India is a unique, diverse market,” he said. “We just can’t pick up something and put it in India and expect it to work.”

That approach will extend to the coaching curriculum and safeguarding. Gupta pointed to the need for training methods that take female-specific requirements into account, while also creating an environment where young players feel safe and confident.

The Super Nova Football Championship will be the first major test of that approach. Around 50 teams are expected to participate, but Gupta said the tournament will not be judged solely by results.

“The success factor for us was if every girl walks out feeling happy and like a champion,” he said. “When you’re dealing with younger kids at the grassroots level, passion and interest is far more important.”

Beyond the football itself, the tournament will include engagement and experiential activities designed to give players a memorable matchday experience.

The ambition extends well beyond Bengaluru. Capri Sports plans to take Nova Sports to more than 10 markets across India over the next decade, while the wider initiative aims to reach more than 1.5 million girls.

For Gupta, the ultimate measure of success will be seeing more girls enter the sport, progress through the system and eventually represent India.

“We want more and more girls to play. We want more and more talent to come through and we want those girls to go on and shine for India,” he said.

Follow RevSportz For More Such Stories

The post “We want more and more girls to play”: Capri Sports Targets the Future of Girls’ Football appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.