NINGBO, CHINA — Thai mixed doubles pair Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran advanced to the final of the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 on Saturday after defeating the world No. 1 pair in a three-game thriller.
Dechapol and Supissara, ranked third in the world, overcame China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping 21-19, 18-21 and 22-20 in the semifinal at Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre Stadium.
The Thai pair will face South Korea’s Kim Jae-hyun and Jang Ha-jeong, ranked 147th in the world, in the final.
In the men’s singles, world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn suffered a surprise defeat to India’s Ayush Shetty, ranked 25th in the world. Kunlavut lost 21-10, 19-21 and 17-21, ending his bid for the title.
The Badminton Asia Championships 2026 is being held from 7 to 12 April at Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in China.