View Kulwut Reaches Asian Games Badminton Final
Thailand's world number-two badminton player View Kulwut made history by becoming the first Thai men's singles player to reach an Asian Games final, where he will face Singapore's Loh Kean Yew.
View Kulwut Wittitashan, Thailand's world number-two badminton player, has made history as the first Thai men's singles player to reach the Asian Games final. He will face Singapore's Loh Kean Yew in the championship match.
After his semifinal win, View expressed surprise at exceeding expectations. Before the tournament, he felt his form was not good enough even to secure a medal, but he has now reached the final. Regarding today's match, he controlled the game and shuttle speed well. His opponent's overly aggressive play led to errors, which View exploited to find and attack weaknesses. However, View acknowledged he needs to improve his attacking game and stamina, as he noticed his speed and leg power weakening in later rounds and must work to recover fully.
"I want to thank Thai fans for their support and encouragement throughout. I felt it all the time. I will give my absolute best in the final. I also send encouragement to all my fellow Thais facing flooding right now and ask the government to help everyone," View said.
Regarding senior female badminton player May Rachanov Intonon's announcement to retire from the Asian Games, View expressed confidence it may not be her last decision. "I believe she will win another championship and return to play. I think no one wants to miss such a major sporting event unless it's truly time to retire. May hasn't reached that point yet—she still looks young," he said.
On the umpiring controversy that led him to throw his racket in an earlier round, View revealed a resolution: "We talked about it. I saw him before today's match, and I apologized to him because I realized I lost control and acted on impulse out of frustration. The match was quite exhausting and frustrating, plus it was an important round affecting medal chances. He also apologized. We both apologized to each other. It's a good outcome—you could say we ended things beautifully."