Thai Badminton Star Miew Brings Home World Championship Bronze
Thai badminton star Miew Pornpavee won her first World Championship bronze medal at the BWF event in New Delhi, becoming only the second Thai woman to achieve this honour after Ratchanok Intanon.
Thai badminton player Miew Pornpavee, ranked 10th in women's singles worldwide, won a bronze medal at the BWF World Badminton Championship 2026 held in New Delhi, India, concluding last Sunday. This is her first World Championship medal and makes her the second Thai woman singles player to achieve this honour, following Ratchanok Intanon who won the title in 2013 and bronze in 2019.
On Monday morning, August 24, Pornpavee and her coach Top Bhakawat Wailaksa returned to Suvarnabhumi Airport aboard Thai Airways flight TG 316 at 5:25 a.m., greeted warmly by Air Chief Marshal Monthol Satchukra, president of the Badminton Association of Thailand under Royal Patronage.
Pornpavee stated that her performance exceeded expectations, reaching the semi-final and securing her first bronze medal, which she views as an important stepping stone to competing at the top five level globally. She highlighted her upset victory over world number 4 Chen Yufei of China in the round of 16, saying she entered the court relaxed, knowing she had lost to Chen dozens of times with only one previous victory. She focused on maximizing her potential and delivered her best effort.
Regarding future development, Pornpavee emphasized maintaining her physical condition, as she has dealt with recurring injuries. She will consult with her coach to analyse weaknesses and gradually improve her game. She also reflected on the high intensity of women's singles competition, noting that top five players employ styles and physical play similar to men's singles, creating high injury risk. She expressed curiosity about how the 2027 rule change to 15-point scoring will affect athlete bodies.
Pornpavee concluded that this result greatly boosted her confidence and clarified her approach against top players. Her next competition is the China Masters, a World Tour Super 750 event, from September 1-6, 2026 in Shenzhen, where she aims to maintain peak physical condition and perform her best before competing in the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya-Aichi, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026.
Air Chief Marshal Monthol Satchukra praised Pornpavee, her coach Top Bhakawat Wailaksa, and the coaching team for their outstanding achievement in winning bronze at the 2026 World Badminton Championship.
