India’s HS Prannoy has criticised the lack of Hawk-Eye technology after his Round of 16 exit at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 in Ningbo, questioning officiating standards at a top-tier event.
“It’s 2026, and I still can’t believe there is no Hawk-Eye on Court 2 for a Super 1000 event,” Prannoy wrote on social media, reacting to a disputed line call during his match against China’s Weng Hongyang.
Straight-games defeat after close contest
The 33-year-old went down 12-21, 19-21 at the Ningbo Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, bringing an end to his campaign. After a one-sided opening game, Prannoy fought back strongly in the second, staying level for long stretches before falling short at key moments.
He had begun the tournament on a positive note, defeating Vietnam’s Nguyen Hai Dang 24-22, 21-12 in the opening round, but was unable to build on that momentum.
India’s campaign falters
Prannoy’s exit added to a disappointing run for India at the continental event.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu also bowed out in the Round of 16, losing 21-18, 21-8 to China’s world No. 2 Wang Zhiyi. Sindhu stayed competitive in the first game but could not sustain the pressure, as Wang dominated the second.
Earlier, Lakshya Sen suffered a first-round exit, while Malvika Bansod and Tanvi Sharma also crashed out early in the women’s singles draw.
Ayush Shetty provides lone bright spot
Amid the setbacks, 20-year-old Ayush Shetty has emerged as India’s standout performer. The world No. 25 advanced to the quarterfinals with straight-game wins over higher-ranked opponents, including Chinese Taipei’s Chi Yu-jen and China’s Li Shifeng.
Shetty will next face Indonesia’s third seed Jonatan Christie in the last eight, keeping India’s hopes alive in an otherwise challenging campaign.
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