Thailand celebrated a historic breakthrough in badminton as Kunlavut Vitidsarn claimed the country's first-ever Asian Games men's singles gold medal on Tuesday in Nagoya. The former world champion dominated Singapore's Loh Kean Yew with a commanding 21-12, 21-16 victory in the final.

Kunlavut displayed exceptional form throughout the match, wrapping up the opening game in just 20 minutes before maintaining his momentum in the second. Loh, who made history as Singapore's first player to reach an Asian Games badminton final, struggled to match his opponent's pace and precision.

Despite mounting a brief challenge in the second game, Loh could not prevent Kunlavut from pulling away decisively. After securing the winning point, the Thai champion acknowledged the crowd with a respectful bow, savoring a triumph that ended his title drought since winning the Malaysia Open in January.

The men's singles competition marked a surprising turn for China, traditionally a powerhouse in badminton. The nation failed to secure any medals in the event, with defending champion Li Shifeng and former world number one Shi Yuqi both suffering early eliminations.

In the women's singles final, South Korea's world number one An Se-young captured gold with a 21-17, 21-9 victory over Japan's Akane Yamaguchi.