Kunlavut first Thai man to win Asian Games badminton singles gold / Photo: Yuichi YAMAZAKI - AFP
Kunlavut first Thai man to win Asian Games badminton singles gold
Kunlavut Vitidsarn became Thailand's first Asian Games men's badminton singles champion after thrashing Singapore's Loh Kean Yew 21-12, 21-16 in Tuesday's final.
Former world champion Kunlavut was in rampant form in Nagoya against Loh, who is the first player from Singapore to reach an Asian Games final.
The win gave Kunlavut his first singles title since January's Malaysia Open after a number of near misses this year.
The Thai player won the first game in 20 minutes and took control of the second, with Loh struggling to keep up.
Loh fought back into contention but Kunlavut streaked away to clinch victory before bowing to the crowd.
China failed to win a medal of any description in the men's singles.
Defending Asian Games champion Li Shifeng and former world number one Shi Yuqi both suffered early exits in Nagoya.
South Korea's world number one An Se-young won the women's title, beating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-9 in the final.
R.Gibson--MC-UK
