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Focused Kunlavut the world championships favourite
The Straits Times
|August 27, 2025
Thai third seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn got his title defence up and running at the Badminton World Federation World Championships on Aug 26, defeating El Salvador's Uriel Canjura in the round of 64.
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PARIS - Thai third seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn got his title defence up and running at the Badminton World Federation World Championships on Aug 26, defeating El Salvador's Uriel Canjura in the round of 64.
Kunlavut, 24, who was victorious at the 2023 edition in Copenhagen, clinched a 21-11, 21-17 victory over his opponent, also 24, in 49 minutes at the Adidas Arena in Paris.
Despite an early medical timeout for Canjura, Kunlavut maintained his focus while leveraging his superior experience and skill.
The first game saw the Thai pull away quickly, winning 21-11. Canjura, making his championship debut, was better in the second stanza, but Kunlavut proved too strong. He will next face South Korea's Kim Byung-jae.
As the 2023 world champion and 2024 Olympic silver medallist, Kunlavut is the favourite to retain his title, especially with Paris Games champion Viktor Axelsen absent as he recovers from injury.
This story is from the August 27, 2025 edition of The Straits Times.
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