Kunlavut Vitidsarn scripts history; lifts Thailand's first MS title at Badminton Asia Championships

Malaysia men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik also made tournament history for their nation.

A 63-year spell came to an end with Kunlavut Vitidsarn claiming Thailand’s first men’s singles title at the Badminton Asia Championships. The world champion was off court earlier than he might have anticipated, with opponent Lu Guang Zu retiring due to injury in the second game. Vitidsarn was leading 21-12, 11-6 when Lu decided to retire due to a waist injury.

“To be honest, before the game I did not expect to be able to win in Ningbo,” said the champion. “I felt that each match was a tough one, and I’m happy to finally win the title and beat a Chinese in the final. Every Chinese player is very difficult to deal with, and it is really not easy to beat them.

“I’ve won the Asian Youth Championship before, and to be able to win in the elite level is really very happy and very meaningful. My next goal is to win the All England. I’ve won the World Championships and won a silver medal in the Olympics, but I’ve finished early at several All England [tournaments], so I hope to improve my performances at the All England Open next year.”

His vanquished opponent blamed a waist injury for pulling out.

“I felt very uncomfortable in my waist before the game but wanted to stick with it,” said Lu Guang Zu. “But after playing a few rallies, I didn’t feel strong enough in my waist, and I wondered how to hold on. But I couldn’t attack from the back, so I really couldn’t cope with this acute condition. Maybe my body wasn’t up to the task today.”

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Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik broke a nearly two-decade long spell by capturing the Badminton Asia Championships 2025 men’s doubles title that Malaysia last won 18 years ago.

The No. #6 seeds held off Chinese duo Chen Bo Yang/Liu Yi 21-19 21-17 in 47 minutes, putting Malaysia back on the winners’ list after Choong Tan Fook/Lee Wan Wah achieved the feat in 2006 and 2007. The winners credited their achievement to a new coaching setup.

“It’s great to win the title,” said Chia. “The new coach’s work has seen results, and we still have a lot of room to improve. After the Olympics we went through a bit of a low point, so this title is very important and hopefully we can continue to play well in the coming games.”

“It is mainly about details, the improvement of small things in the front and behind,” said Soh. “At first we weren’t very comfortable, but now we’re getting better. Something different was added to our gameplay, the path has changed, and it’s a breakthrough. It’s the third major title we’ve won in our partnership. Under the new coaches, we have a new style and hopefully we can continue this form and win more titles.”

Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet won the mixed doubles title–the first time in 10 years that the title has been won by a non-Chinese pair. The hosts came away with two gold medals–Chen Yu Fei beating Han Yue in an all-China women’s singles final, while Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning took the women’s doubles beating Nami Matsuyama/Chiharu Shida.

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