Aichi-Nagoya: Kunlavut Vitidsarn carved his name into Thai badminton history on Tuesday, defeating Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew to capture the men’s singles gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
The Thai star produced a composed performance on the biggest stage, beating Loh 21-12, 21-16 at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium to deliver Thailand its first-ever Asian Games men’s singles badminton title.
For Kunlavut, the victory added another major honor to a career that has already taken him to the top of the world rankings and an Olympic silver medal.
Kunlavut Pulls Away After Tight Start
The gold-medal match was evenly balanced early in the opening game, with neither player able to establish control as the score reached 8-8.
Kunlavut then began to dictate the rallies. He opened a 12-8 advantage before steadily stretching the gap to 19-12, leaving Loh with little room to recover. Two points later, the Thai had the opening game 21-12.
Loh responded with a stronger challenge in the second. The Singaporean stayed within touching distance of Kunlavut and battled to 13-13 as he looked for a way back into the final.
Once again, however, Kunlavut found another level when the match reached its critical stage. He moved ahead 18-15 and refused to surrender the initiative, eventually converting his advantage into a 21-16 victory.
The straight-game win completed a memorable Asian Games campaign and gave Thailand a men’s singles champion for the first time.
Kunlavut Vitidsarn Handles the Pressure of World No. 1
Kunlavut first reached world No. 1 in June 2025 and returned to Aichi-Nagoya carrying the expectations that come with being one of badminton’s leading players.
After winning gold, he acknowledged that the ranking brings pressure but said major tournament medals remain more important to him than the number beside his name.
“The world No. 1 ranking gives me a lot of pressure. It’s just a number,” Kunlavut said.
“My target is a medal from every tournament, whether it’s at the World Championships or the Olympics. These are more important than a world No. 1 ranking.”
Kunlavut admitted he arrived at the Asian Games without being completely satisfied with his recent performances, making his run to the title even more meaningful.
“Before I came here, everything about my performance was not good enough to get medals,” he said. “This time, I got the gold medal.”
Loh Kean Yew Takes Silver After Historic Singapore Run
Although Loh fell short in the final, the former world champion leaves Aichi-Nagoya with a landmark achievement of his own.
His run to the gold-medal match made him the first Singaporean to reach an Asian Games badminton final, securing a historic silver medal for his country.
But Tuesday belonged to Kunlavut, whose combination of patience, court coverage and control under pressure proved decisive as he completed a breakthrough triumph for Thai men’s singles badminton.
Leo Carnando-Daniel Marthin Win Men’s Doubles Gold
Indonesia also enjoyed a golden finish to the men’s doubles competition as Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin came from behind to defeat China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang.
The Indonesians narrowly lost a competitive opening game 21-19, but their response was immediate. Leo and Daniel took control of the second game to win 21-13, sending the final into a decider.
With the gold medal on the line, the Indonesian pair maintained their confidence and held their nerve during a tighter third game, eventually completing a 19-21, 21-13, 21-18 comeback victory.
“The key to our victory today was confidence. Because this was the final, we tried to play more boldly and with greater belief,” Leo said after the match.
“I’m grateful everything went smoothly, and I really appreciate Daniel for playing incredibly well today.”
Daniel said he was proud to contribute another gold medal to Indonesia, completing a particularly successful Asian Games for the pair.
The men’s doubles title was their second gold medal in Aichi-Nagoya after Leo and Daniel had already helped Indonesia capture the men’s team championship.
Their victory also delivered Indonesia its second badminton gold medal of the Games, while Kunlavut’s men’s singles triumph provided another milestone for Thailand on a memorable final day of badminton competition in Aichi-Nagoya.
