Kulwut Vitidsarn rose to world No. 1, marking the first good news before winning the men's singles badminton gold at the Asian Games 2026.
On 29 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Kulwut Vitidsarn returned to the world No. 1 ranking, which was the first good news before securing the men's singles badminton gold at the 2026 Asian Games (Asian Games 2026).
In the final, Kulwut Vitidsarn defeated his close friend Low Kian Yew from Singapore 2-0 at the Ichinomiya City Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with scores of 21-12, 21-16. This historic win made him the first Thai men's singles badminton player to claim gold in this event at the Games.
This marks the third time Kulwut has held the men's singles world No. 1 ranking. The first was on 3 June 2025, after winning the 2025 Singapore Open, becoming the first Thai men's singles player to achieve this feat. The second time was on 10 March 2026, following his semifinal appearance at the 2026 All England Open.