World champ Vitidsarn still messages his late coach about his matches

In conjunction with World Badminton Day (July 5), reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn recently shared an emotional story about how he still messages his childhood coach who had passed away.

“When I was a kid, I didn’t know how to go to practice. He would come pick me up, drop me off. He was my first coach, and a good one. I loved him a lot. Today, he’s no longer around.

“I used to tell him about my goals, how I will make it happen and what I’ve said is not a lie. I told him I wanted to become a world champion, an Olympic and All-England champion. I’ve become a world champion, but the other two will be even harder.

“But I will try to achieve them. I still send him messages. Like I’ve made it to the next round, I didn’t play well this round, I’ll do better in the next round. It’s kind of sad, because he wasn’t there the day we succeeded,” Vitidsarn told Woody FM.

The 23-year-old made history after becoming Thailand’s first men’s singles world champion when he defeated Kodai Naraoka in 2023.

Vitidsarn dedicated that historic world title to his late coach, saying “When I was young I promised my coach I would get the gold medal. He passed away, and I dedicate this gold medal to him.”

During his interview, Vitidsarn revealed that 'Coach Peng' had passed away due to cancer.

The three-time world junior champion will next set his sights on securing a gold medal at the upcoming Paris Olympics that takes place later this month.