National —
On August 4th, 2024, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, better known as View, defeated his Malaysian opponent Lee Zii Jia in Paris at Men’s Singles Badminton and moved on to the Gold Medal final match at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Thai badminton star View Kunlavut, ranked 8th in the world, faced Malaysia’s 7th-ranked Lee Zii Jia in a gripping match. The first game was tightly contested until View found his rhythm, pulling ahead despite needing medical attention for a scraped knee, and won 21-14, taking a 1-0 lead.
In the second game, View maintained his confidence, leading 11-5 at the halfway point and eventually closing it out 21-15. With a 2-0 victory (21-14, 21-15), he advanced to the men’s singles final, guaranteeing at least a silver medal.
This achievement marks a historic milestone as he becomes the first Thai badminton player to secure an Olympic medal.
View will be facing Viktor Axelsen, the 30-year-old world No. 2 from Denmark in the final match scheduled for August 5th at 7:30 PM (Thai local time).
Meanwhile, Mr. Suchai Phonchaisak-Udom, the President of the Thai Boxing Association, shared his excitement after watching Thai woman boxer Janjaem Suwannapheng defeat 2020 Olympic gold medalist Busenaz Sürmeneli in the women’s 69 kg category, securing a bronze medal.
Looking ahead to Janjaem’s semi-final match against Algeria’s Imane Khelif on August 6th at 3:34 AM (Thai local time), Suchai expressed confidence in her chances, despite Khelif’s strength, citing her impressive performance in the quarter-finals.
To further motivate Janjaem, Suchai announced a 1 million baht cash reward if she defeated Khelif upon her return to Thailand.
