{
  "id": 10678254,
  "title": "Kunlavut first Thai man to win Asian Games badminton singles gold",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/kunlavut-first-thai-man-to-win-asian-games-badminton-singles-gold",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T11:03:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/badminton/2026/09/1544000/kunlavut-first-thai-man-win-asian-games-badminton-singles-gold"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NAGOYA: Badminton player Kunlavut Vitidsarn made history as Thailand's first male Asian Games champion in singles after defeating Singapore's Loh Kean Yew 21-12, 21-16 in the final match on Tuesday. The world champion showcased his dominant performance against Loh, who became the first player from Singapore to reach an Asian Games final. This victory marked Kunlavut's first singles title since the Malaysia Open earlier this year, following several near misses. The Thai athlete secured the first game within 20 minutes and maintained control over the second, as Loh struggled to keep pace. Loh attempted to regain the lead but ultimately failed to prevent Kunlavut's victory, who graciously acknowledged the crowd before the match concluded. China did not secure any medals in the men's singles category. Meanwhile, the defending champion Li Shifeng and former world number one Shi Yuqi both exited the competition in the early stages of the tournament. South Korea's world number one An Se-young claimed the women's title, defeating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-9 in the final match.",
  "summary": "NAGOYA: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.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Wrong venue again: S. Korea volleyball team loses training after Asian Games bus blunder",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/wrong-venue-again-s-korea-volleyball-team-loses-training-after-asian",
        "published": "2026-09-29T08:29:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Mainichi",
        "title": "Socks from Japan's FamilyMart convenience store save Uzbek volleyball team at Asian Games",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/socks-from-japans-familymart-convenience-store-save-uzbek-volleyball",
        "published": "2026-09-29T08:42:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "China badminton 'still strong' despite Asian Games slump",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/china-badminton-still-strong-despite-asian-games-slump",
        "published": "2026-09-29T12:01:34.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "India win women’s 4x400m relay gold at Asian Games 2026, sixth gold overall",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/india-win-womens-4x400m-relay-gold-at-asian-games-2026-sixth-gold",
        "published": "2026-09-29T12:19:59.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}