Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn made history on Sunday by becoming the first Thai shuttler to win the men’s singles title at the Badminton Asia Championships, cementing his place among the sport’s elite.
At just 23 years old, he became the youngest player in recent history to claim the Asian crown.
The world No. 3 secured the gold in unfortunate circumstances, as his Chinese opponent Lu Guang Zu was forced to retire due to a back injury in the second game. Vitidsarn had already taken the first game 21-11 and was leading 11-6 when Lu called it quits, much to the disappointment of the home crowd at the Olympic Sports Centre in Ningbo.
Despite the anti-climactic ending, the victory marked a significant milestone in Vitidsarn’s career. It was his fifth win over Lu in six encounters and his second major title this year, following his victory at the Indonesia Masters in January.
More notably, Vitidsarn now joins an exclusive group of Asian players to have won all four major titles in their career – the Asian Junior Championship, World Junior Championship, World Championship, and now, the Asian Championship – a rare feat that marked his exceptional journey from a junior prodigy to a world-class contender.
