Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn secured the men's singles championship at the 2023 World Badminton Championships.

He accomplished this feat by defeating Japan's Kodai Naraoka with a scoreline of 19-21, 21-18, 21-7 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Kunlavut, a 22-year-old ranked as the world number three, had finished as the runner-up in the previous year's competition.

This victory made him the very first Thai athlete to clinch the men's singles title at the World Championships.

Kodai Naraoka, also 22 years old and ranked fourth globally, put up a challenging fight for Kunlavut in a nail-biting contest.

Following his triumphant win at the World Championships, Kunlavut was overwhelmed with emotion, expressing his joy and revealing that this achievement had been his lifelong dream. As he had promised, he dedicated his hard-earned gold medal to his late coach.

This monumental final match became the second-longest men's singles final in the history of the Badminton World Championships. Both players were visibly exhausted after the intense contest, with Kodai Naraoka even collapsing after giving his all on the court.

Kunlavut disclosed that he had prepared a lot in the match, because of his deep familiarity with Naraoka. They had been competing with each other since their teenage years.

However, after putting all his strength into the match, he had no energy left for celebration.

Born in 2001, Kunlavut has emerged as one of the brightest rising stars in the Thai badminton scene.

During his youth team days, Kunlavut achieved the remarkable feat of winning three World Youth Championships titles, a first in the history of the World Youth Championships.

As he transitioned into the adult circuit, Kunlavut continued to excel.

In the previous World Championships, he reached the final but was unable to overcome the world's No. 1 player, Viktor Axelsen, settling for second place.

This year, in the 2023 World Championships, Kunlavut displayed exceptional strength and determination, advancing all the way to the final.

Facing off against Kunlavut in the final was Japan's rising star, Kodai Naraoka.

Both players were born in the same year, and they shared similar records in their matches.

The first game lived up to expectations, lasting a grueling 48 minutes and ending with Japan's Kodai Naraoka securing the first set with a score of 21-19.

However, Kunlavut fought back in the second set, capitalizing on his opportunities to win 21-19.

In the decisive third game, perhaps due to exhaustion from the first two games, Kodai Naraoka, couldn't keep up with Kunlavut's pace and was easily defeated 21-6. After 1 hour and 49 minutes of intense competition, Kunlavut finally clinched the Men's Singles title of the World Championships by defeating Naraoka with a score of 2:1.

Previously, the Thai badminton team had an average record in the men's singles event. Kunlavut's victory marked a historic turning point.

His journey to success had been arduous, but he had emerged victorious. Kunlavut's triumph also solidified his status as the first player from his country to become a men's singles world champion in this century.