Ashmita Chaliha Makes History, Wins Korea Masters 2026

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Monday, 10 August 2026

Ashmita Chaliha created history on August 9, 2026, by becoming the first Indian to win the Korea Masters title, defeating China’s Han Qianxi in hard-fought women’s singles final. The 26-year-old shuttler overcame a slow start after losing the opening game to secure a memorable victory.

The left-handed player from Guwahati completed the comeback in 53 minutes, capping an impressive campaign at the tournament. Ashmita had already made a strong statement in the quarterfinals by defeating top seed Hina Akechi, establishing herself as a serious contender before going on to claim the title.

With this win, the World No. 50 vaults into an elite bracket of Indian shuttlers to have tasted Super 300 success — a list headlined by Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, and now bolstered by a fresh wave of talent that includes Devika Sihag, who won in Thailand in Feb, and Tanvi Sharma, who lifted the Chinese Taipei Open trophy just last week.It is raining titles for India.

After Sindhu’s maiden Japanese Open title triumph on July 19, Indian women have won three titles in the last four weeks. Only last Sunday, Tanvi Sharma became the youngest Taipei Open winner.

Key Highlights:

• Ashmita Chaliha won her first BWF World Tour title at the Korea Masters 2026
• She became the first Indian to win the Korea Masters women’s singles title
• Ashmita made a strong comeback from injury to claim her maiden Super 300 crown

For Ashmita, however, the Korea Masters title carries a significance of its own. It is her first BWF World Tour crown and a landmark moment after a long road back from injury. The final initially appeared to be slipping away from her. Ashmita made a bright start, opening up a 4-0 lead and moving 9-5 ahead.

But Xi fought back strongly, levelling at 11-11 before producing a decisive run of points to seize control. The Chinese shuttler eventually closed out the opening game 21-14.Ashmita later revealed that the biggest obstacle was not her opponent, but the tricky drift at one end of the court. Rather than allowing the difficult conditions to disrupt her rhythm, the Indian adapted.

A change of ends in the second game brought greater comfort, allowing her to control the shuttle better and construct rallies with more patience. At 6-6, Ashmita began asserting herself. She combined powerful smashes with sharp defensive returns to break away. She led 11-8 at the interval and continued to dictate the exchanges, moving 17-10 ahead before sealing the game 21-14 with another attacking winner.

The decider became a test of nerve and tactical intelligence. Ashmita moved into an early 5-2 lead, but Xi responded and went into the mid-game interval 11-9 ahead. The Indian, however, refused to let the momentum disappear. Ashmita looked a different player after the break as she scored seven straight points to move to 16-11.

The Indian made no mistake, completing a remarkable turnaround and sealing her maiden World Tour title. “I feel really great and unbelievable. But then I am trying to digest it. Now, I am hungry for more,” Ashmita said after the match. Her assessment of the contest underlined how much the victory was built on adaptation.

“In the first game, it was a little bit tricky because of the drift condition, so I was not able to manage it. But in the second, the other side was more comfortable and there was less drift, so I was able to control it. And in the third, after 11 points, I changed again — so I was on the good side. So I’m glad that I could pull off.”

The triumph is particularly significant given the setbacks Ashmita has overcome. She suffered a tear in her right knee during the Korea Open in 2024, forcing her to undergo surgery and an extensive rehabilitation program.

She returned to competition in February the following year and went on to play 14 events. This year, after competing in a couple of tournaments, she spent three months building the strength required to handle the demands of a full BWF calendar.

The hard work began to show with back-to-back quarterfinal appearances at the China Masters and Malaysia Masters, followed by a semifinal finish at the Macau Open. Training under Park TaeSang at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati, Ashmita arrived in Korea ranked World No. 50. She leaves as a Super 300 champion.