Indian badminton star Ashmita Chaliha created history on August 9, 2026, by becoming the first Indian shuttler to win the Korea Masters title. The 26-year-old defeated China’s Han Qianxi in a thrilling women’s singles final at the BWF Super 300 tournament.
Chaliha lost the opening game 14-21 after Han fought back from an early 9-5 deficit. However, the Indian shuttler responded strongly, taking the second and third games 21-14, 21-14 to complete a 53-minute comeback victory.
Her path to the title included a major quarter-final upset over Japan’s top seed Hina Akechi. She then defeated fellow Indian Rakshitha Ramraj in the semi-final to reach her first World Tour final.
The Ashmita Chaliha Korea Masters title also places her alongside Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Devika Sihag and Tanvi Sharma among Indian women who have won a BWF Super 300 or higher singles title.
The victory continues a strong year for Indian badminton. Chaliha became the fourth Indian woman to win a singles World Tour title in 2026, following PV Sindhu, Devika Sihag and Tanvi Sharma. India also secured back-to-back women’s singles World Tour titles after Tanvi Sharma’s Taipei Open triumph.
For Chaliha, the Korea Masters win marks another major step in a career that began with her senior international title at the 2018 Dubai International Challenge.
