A World Championships Debut to Remember
For Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh, the journey to the 2026 World Championships was unexpected, rushed and ultimately heartbreaking. The Indian mixed doubles pair travelled nearly 1,800km from Dharwad to Delhi after receiving a late opportunity to enter the tournament.
They had been competing at the State Championships in Dharwad when withdrawals opened a place in the World Championships draw. As reserves, they were suddenly promoted to the main draw. Without much time to prepare, they withdrew from their ongoing tournament, packed their bags and travelled to Delhi.
Just days later, they were standing on court for the biggest match of their careers.
The dream lasted 71 minutes.
And while the result was a first-round defeat, their performance suggested that the pair may have announced themselves on a much bigger stage.
When Opportunity Came Calling
Ashith and Amrutha arrived in Delhi only on Saturday, while several established Indian players had already spent days preparing for the conditions at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
The pair had little time to adjust to the venue, atmosphere and conditions. But they had something equally valuable — the excitement of making their World Championships debut on home soil.
“We never thought we’d get an entry for this,” Amrutha said, describing the opportunity as something they were simply happy to receive.
For the pair, the decision to leave Dharwad midway through another tournament was easy. A World Championships appearance was an opportunity they could not afford to miss.
Nine Match Points, One Painful Defeat
Ranked No. 60, Ashith and Amrutha began strongly against Turkiye’s Emre Sonmez and Yasemen Bektas, ranked No. 71.
The Indians won the opening game 21-16 and appeared to be on course for a memorable victory.
But the second game turned into a dramatic battle.
Ashith and Amrutha repeatedly came within a point of finishing the match, but their opponents refused to give up. The Indians had six match points but could not convert any of them. Turkiye eventually won the marathon game 30-29.
The deciding game was just as agonising.
India created three more match points, but once again could not close out the contest. Turkiye eventually won 24-22, completing a remarkable comeback.
The final score — 16-21, 30-29, 24-22 — reflected just how close the contest had been.
For Amrutha, the defeat was difficult to accept.
She admitted that the pair were disappointed because they had created so many opportunities but failed to finish the match.
Home Crowd Gives Them a New Experience
Despite the defeat, the Indian pair received something they rarely experience on the international circuit — strong home support.
Ashith and Amrutha usually compete abroad in front of crowds that have little connection to them. In Delhi, however, spectators gradually began to rally behind the unfamiliar Indian pair.
Ashith said the support was emotional and motivating rather than overwhelming.
The crowd became particularly important during the second and third games, when the Indians repeatedly found themselves under pressure.
For Amrutha, the atmosphere was initially overwhelming, but she later described the experience as incredible.
A Painful Loss That Could Shape Their Future
The defeat will undoubtedly leave the pair thinking about the match points they failed to convert. Amrutha acknowledged that some of their mistakes came on shots they should have handled better.
Yet the experience could prove more valuable than the result itself.
Ashith, 30, and Amrutha, 23, have largely built their careers independently, travelling together to tournaments without the visibility enjoyed by India’s established doubles combinations. They have competed mainly in International Challenge and International Series events and only recently entered the HSBC BWF World Tour.
Their 2026 season had included several early exits, making the World Championships opportunity even more significant.
They leave Delhi without a victory, but they also leave with something that cannot easily be measured in ranking points.
They now know what it feels like to compete at the highest level, in front of a home crowd, under enormous pressure.
Their World Championships campaign lasted only one match.
But their journey may have only just begun.
