Kunlavut Vitidsarn has won Thailand’s first Asian Games men’s singles title

Kunlavut Vitidsarn won the men’s singles final at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Tuesday, beating Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew 21-12, 21-16, Matichon reported. It was Thailand’s 12th gold of these Games.

Before these Games, an Asian Games medal was the only major honour missing from his trophy cabinet, which already held Olympic, World Championship, Asian Championship and Southeast Asian Games medals, the Bangkok Post reported. The 25-year-old is a former world champion and won silver at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

The final

Kunlavut had become world No. 1 in the rankings published that morning, Khaosod reported. The first game was close until about halfway, when he pulled clear to take it 21-12, and the second stayed level point for point before he won it 21-16.

No Asian Games men’s singles final since the event began in 1962 had been played without a player from China or Indonesia, according to the Straits Times, and Thailand became only the fourth country to win it. Kunlavut went through the Games unbeaten, with eight straight wins across the singles and the team event, in which Thailand took bronze.

Before the Games, Kunlavut said he had wanted to meet Loh in the final. The two are good friends and training partners who share a meal whenever one of them is in the other’s country, the Straits Times reported. Kunlavut has now won nine of their 11 matches, including the final of the Southeast Asian Games in 2022, although Loh won their previous meeting, at the India Open in January.

The week

He reached the final on Monday by beating Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan, the world No. 10, 21-13, 21-15 in 49 minutes, the Bangkok Post reported. No Thai man had reached the final before.

Loh, who is ranked 13th in the world, was the first Singaporean to reach an Asian Games badminton final. He had beaten the world No. 1, Jonatan Christie, in the quarter-finals, after losing their previous 10 matches, CNA reported.