Kunlavut wins Thailand’s first Asian Games men’s singles badminton gold

Kunlavut Vitidsarn became the first Thai man to win the Asian Games men’s singles badminton title after defeating Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew 21-12, 21-16 on 29 September.

The 25-year-old former world champion secured the gold medal at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Games. Thailand had not won the men’s singles title since badminton became a medal event in 1962.

Sangob Rattanusorn had previously been Thailand’s only men’s singles medallist, taking bronze at the 1970 Games in Bangkok, according to the Bangkok Post. China and Indonesia had produced eight and seven champions respectively before Kunlavut’s victory.

The gold completes Kunlavut’s collection of major honours, which also includes medals from the Olympic Games, World Championships, Asian Championships and Southeast Asian Games. It was Thailand’s second badminton medal in Aichi-Nagoya after the men’s team won bronze.

Thailand also added gold medals in men’s regu sepak takraw and PUBG Mobile esports on 29 September. The sepak takraw team defeated Malaysia 2-0, with scores of 15-9 and 15-8, in a rematch of the 2022 Hangzhou final. The victory gave Thailand a record seventh Asian Games gold in the event.

The PUBG Mobile team of Nuttawut Muensa, Sathit Thanormchit, Supachai Singkaew, Pawarit Wongthonghatsachai and Phumrapee Wannalertsakul finished the 12-round competition with 128 points. China took silver with 114 points and Pakistan won bronze with 100. The result was Thailand’s 11th gold medal at the Games.

In boxing, Natnicha Chongprongklang beat Japan’s Tsukimi Namiki by a 3-2 split decision to reach the women’s 54-kilogram final. Natnicha will face North Korea’s Pang Chol Mi on Friday.

Thailand’s men’s volleyball team reached the quarter-finals after beating Kyrgyzstan 3-0 in their final Pool B match. The team advanced as pool runners-up behind unbeaten Iran, while Indonesia were eliminated.

In women’s padel, Natalie Narkprasert and Dares Srirungreang beat Kuwait’s Noor Hasan and Zenab Sarkhoo 7-5, 6-3 in the first round. They were scheduled to face Saudi Arabia’s Areej Fareh and Alanoud Yamani in the second round. Thailand’s men’s pair, Arnav Rawal and Stefano Mocciola, lost 6-4, 6-2 to Japan’s Kazuki Tomita and Nasa Hatakeyama.

Thailand’s women’s 4x100-metre relay team won silver on Monday in a season-best 43.51 seconds. Manatsada Sanmano, Sukanda Petraksa, Supanich Poolkerd and Jirapat Khanonta finished 0.01 seconds ahead of bronze medallists Japan. The men’s 4x100m team, including Puripol Boonson, finished fourth.