Mixed doubles stars Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai won their first badminton world championship crown on Sunday after defeating their Japanese opponents in straight sets.
The second-seeded duo defeated third seeds Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino 21-13, 21-14 in 46 minutes at the BWF World Championships in Huelva, Spain.
The victory was their first in the world championship after becoming the losing finalists in the 2019 campaign in Basel, Switzerland. They were the first Thai mixed doubles shuttlers to win the world championship.
They went to Spain in impressive form after sweeping the last three events of the 2021 World Tour season held in Bali, Indonesia. The duo also won the Hylo Open in Germany before their Bali victories.
Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, president of the Badminton Association of Thailand, praised the two for their success. "This victory is a new year gift the two give to all Thai people," she said.