Singapore Badminton Scene

Discussion in 'Professional Players' started by Loh, Jul 2, 2012.

  1. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Probably just under three months time at a guess. It takes about 8 weeks to control covid new infection numbers if the outbreak is small and with prompt action like Singapore has done. Then you need a two weeks of less than 5 unlinked cases per day. HK is OK at the moment - we had two potential outbreaks that were very quickly controlled just after Chinese New Year - very fortunate to have had it controlled.

    If vaccination numbers go up (Singapore is leading HK but both places can do better(!)) then perhaps even less than three months for the travel bubble to appear. There’s definitely political support on both sides for a travel bubble to get going.

    For comparison, Taiwan has less than 1% of the population vaccinated and is currently experiencing a very worrying scenario of active community infections.
     
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  2. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Kean Yew has the mettle for a medal
    Badminton: Kean Yew has the mettle for a medal | The Star
    • Wednesday, 02 Jun 2021

    PETALING JAYA: Next month’s Tokyo Olympics will only be his maiden appearance, but Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew isn’t afraid to dream big.

    The 23-year-old Penang-born shuttler has set his sights on becoming the first Singaporean to win a medal in badminton since the sport first made the programme in 1992.

    Singapore’s best achievement in badminton at the Olympics was when Ronald Susilo reached the last eight in Athens 2004.

    But world No. 42 Kean Yew aims to surpass that feat despite knowing the odds are heavily stacked against him.
    “Although I’m not a favourite in this Olympics, my goal is (still) to win a medal, ” said Kean Yew in an interview with the largest Singaporean Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao.

    “After all, no one in Singapore has ever won an Olympic medal for badminton.”

    However, Kean Yew is under no illusions that he may have to wait longer to pursue his Olympics dream - in the event the Tokyo Games is called off again.

    There has been repeated calls for Tokyo 2020, which had already been postponed for a year, to be cancelled because the Covid-19 pandemic is still raging across the world including in Japan itself.

    “In fact, even until now we’re still worried about whether the Olympics will be held, ” he said.

    “I try my best to train with the mindset to gear up for competitions, just like how I prepared recently for the Malaysian and Singapore Opens, but in the end both were called off.

    “All the uncertainties are quite worrying indeed.”

    Hopes are high on Kean Yew to return home with a commendable result from Tokyo after having enjoyed a remarkable run before the pandemic.

    In 2019, Kean Yew made heads turn when he downed two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan to bag his maiden World Tour title at the Thailand Masters.


    Kean Yew would go on to reach three more finals – the Hyderabad Open, Russian Open and at the Philippines SEA Games where he lost to childhood rival Lee Zii Jia.

    In February last year, he stunned world No. 4 Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan during the Asia Team Championships.

    A month later at the Spain Masters, he gave Denmark’s world No. 2 Viktor Axelsen a run for his money before going down 21-13,14-21,15-21 to the eventual champion.

    Kean Yew was previously a trainee with the Penang Badminton Association (PBA) until he was 12.

    His best achievement in the junior scene was winning the 2009 National Junior Grand Prix Finals, beating Lee Zii Jia in the Under-12 final.

    In 2010, he was offered a place in the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) but opted to take up a scholarship offer by the Singapore Schools Sports Council to study and play badminton there.

    His brother Kean Yean had also moved there.

    Kean Yew is in good hands under renowned Indonesian coach Mulyo Handoyo, who was instrumental in guiding Taufik Hidayat to the men’s singles gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
     
    #1642 Loh, Jun 1, 2021
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2021
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  3. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Shuttlers confirmed for Tokyo
    Shuttlers confirmed for Tokyo, Sport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times


    David Lee
    • PUBLISHED
      6 HOURS AGO

    Singapore shuttlers Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after the Badminton World Federation (BWF) confirmed its qualification list on Monday.

    While the qualification period closes next Tuesday, the BWF had confirmed in May that there would be no further tournaments due to the coronavirus pandemic. This had led to the postponement of the May 11-16 India Open, May 25-30 Malaysia Open and cancellation of the June 1-6 Singapore Open.

    As a result, Loh and Yeo secured their Olympic spots by virtue of being 18th and 17th in the Race to Tokyo men's and women's rankings respectively, with 38 places allocated for each singles event.

    Loh, 23, said: "It is an honour to be able to represent Singapore at the Olympics, and I will do my best to make the nation proud."

    Both shuttlers are looking forward to making their Olympic debuts and Yeo, 22, added that they have been training hard despite the Covid-induced upheaval that has limited competition opportunities. World No. 42 Loh and Yeo, who is ranked 30th, will leave for Japan next month.

    The men's singles event will be headlined by Japan's world No. 1 Kento Momota, while China's Chen Yu Fei and Chinese Taipei's Tai Tzu-ying are leading contenders for the women's singles gold. Spain's defending women's singles champion Carolina Marin has withdrawn with a knee injury.

    In a Facebook post, the Singapore Badminton Association said: "We are 100 per cent sure Kean Yew and Jia Min would do their best and do all of us proud."

    Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong also congratulated the pair on Facebook.

    He wrote: "Really happy for these two, as they will now take their places among the world's best shuttlers. I met them a few months ago on court, as they were training hard, and looking so well - I am sure this news would have brought an even bigger smile to their faces!"

    The confirmation of the shuttlers' participation means there are now 18 Singapore athletes across nine sports who have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.

    The others are diver Jonathan Chan, fencers Amita Berthier and Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman, gymnast Tan Sze En, rower Joan Poh, sailors Ryan Lo, Kimberly Lim and Cecilia Low, shooter Adele Tan, swimmers Joseph Schooling and Quah Zheng Wen, table tennis players Feng Tianwei, Yu Mengyu, Lin Ye and Clarence Chew, and windsurfer Amanda Ng.
     
    #1643 Loh, Jun 8, 2021
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2021
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  4. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    How USA's Beiwen Zhang fought all discrimination to smash her way to the Tokyo Olympics
    https://thebridge.in/badminton/beiw...-olympics-rio-citizenship-usa-singapore-22333

    Zhang has witnessed an eventful journey en route the quadrennial event; with a lack of coaching support, funds and even citizenship!
    [​IMG]
    ( Source: The Indian Express)

    By Eshaan Joshi
    Updated: 23 Jun 2021 12:05 AM

    Beiwen Zhang's journey in the world of badminton has been nothing short of a grueling rally; involving rigorous drives and follow throughs. However, the 30-year old has always picked her way up, and smashed her obstacles to rise above the ranks. Bereft of funds, coaches, infrastructure, and any other support, Zhang has been extremely persistent and self-motivated to achieve the current status in her career. A current rank of World No. 14, and an Olympic berth are the fruits of her humungous efforts against all odds, odds which were not only limited to the sporting ecosystem, but much further.

    Zhang's was born in 1990 in China, where she lived till the age of 13. She moved to Singapore at the onset of teenage, and represented the nation for almost a decade. Her major milestones during this period included a bronze apiece in the 2007 World Junior Championships and 2009 Southeast Asian Games. The World No. 14 had an alleged fall out with the then-singles coach of Singapore, Luan Ching in 2011, post which she moved to Las Vegas in the US. Zhang was asked to return by the Singapore Badminton Association, however, she decided against it, and kickstarted her stint in the USA.

    Things did not come easy for the shuttler, as she suffered from the lack of popularity of the sport in the USA. She made continuous efforts to arrange for her training, but could not find the requisite arrangements in the country, which forced her to head back to Singapore for her training. In addition to this, there was a stark lack of funds for the sport in the country. Zhang points it out that while Swimming has 34 Olympic medals, Badminton has only 5, which makes the sport lesser lucrative for investment.

    [​IMG]
    (Image Source: The Hindu)

    However, Zhang did not allow the situation to get the better of her, as she rose above the ranks, winning four international challenge tournaments in 2013. She continued her purple patch, winning the 2014 U.S. Open Grand Prix, the 2014 Brazil Open Grand Prix and the 2014 Dutch Open Grand Prix. While Badminton World Federation (BWF) did not require the players to have citizenship of the country they represented in tournaments, the case was Beiwen Zhang reverse with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Ineligibility for a US passport led Zhang to miss the Rio Olympics in 2016.

    Zhang did not lose hope and continued up scaling her game, and her efforts bore fruit in the form of a victory in the Indian Open, wherein she edged past defending champion and Olympic silver medalist PV Sindhu in a hard fought victory. She did not let the lack of coaching support become an obstacle, as she commenced analyzing her own strengths and weaknesses. In the process, Zhang started training younger athletes for the sport. The 30-year old has come a long way, in a journey which has been extremely eventful, and has given the likes of Li Xuerui, Saina Nehwal and Nozomi Okuhara a run for their money.

    The shuttler still trains in Singapore, majorly out of her own funds, with Yonex and some sponsors in Hong Kong being her only financial constants. All the efforts of Zhang are currently synergized at a podium finish at the Tokyo Olympics, as she intends to make a difference and ring in a positive attitude towards the sport in the USA.

    https://thebridge.in/badminton/beiwen-zhang-badminton-tokyo-olympics-rio-citizenship-usa-singapore-22333
     
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  5. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Singapore's shuttlers avoid big guns at Tokyo 2020 group stage
    [​IMG]
    National shuttlers Loh Kean Yew (left) and Yeo Jia Min were handed favourable draws in the men's and women's singles.ST PHOTOS: KUA CHEE SIONG
    [​IMG]
    David Lee
    • PUBLISHED
      9 HOURS AGO
    SINGAPORE - National shuttlers Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min's quest for success at the Olympic Games received a boost on Thursday (July 9) after they were handed favourable draws in the men's and women's singles.

    The draw for the badminton competition at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza was released by Badminton World Federation on Thursday..

    World No. 42 Loh will play in Group G against Indonesia's Jonatan Christie (7th) and refugee athlete Aram Mahmoud (172nd), a Syrian who plays under the Dutch flag.

    While Loh has not beaten Asian Games champion Christie in three previous encounters, he did pinch a set in each of those defeats. This will be his first meeting with Mahmoud.

    His group draw also means that he will avoid big guns like Japanese world No. 1 and hot favourite Kento Momota, China's Rio 2016 men's singles champion Chen Long and Denmark's bronze medallist Viktor Axelsen.

    Loh, 24, said: "I would say it's a good draw. I last played him at the Thailand Open in January so at least it's someone that I played recently, and I can gauge his standards better compared to those whom I have not met before or for a long time.

    "In any case, every game at the Olympics is important. I will go into the tournament giving it my best and fight all the way."

    In the women's singles, world No. 30 Yeo is in Group K with South Korean Kim Ga-eun (18th) and Mexican Haramara Gaitan (92nd). Likewise, she has dodged the world's top 10 including Chinese Taipei's world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying and China's world No. 2 Chen Yu Fei.

    The 22-year-old holds a 3-1 head-to-head record against Kim and will play Gaitan for the first time at Tokyo 2020.

    In the singles events, players are divided into 14 groups of three to four players for round-robin matches and the top-ranked player will advance to the knockout round.

    A total of 87 male and 86 female players representing 50 national Olympic committees will feature at these Olympics, with Rio 2016 men's singles champion Chen Long of China the only defending champion across five categories.

    The July 24-Aug 2 badminton competition will be held at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza.
     
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  6. lodoss

    lodoss Regular Member

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    Yeo stands a good chance. Christie is not that consistent so Loh will need to be patient in his play. Hope both can advance to knock out stage.
     
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  7. hybisme

    hybisme Regular Member

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    Loh puts up a good fight! Enjoyable match!
    No doubt he lose but still very very good fight!
     
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  8. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Olympics: S'porean shuttler Loh Kean Yew exits after loss to Indonesia's Jonatan Christie
    Olympics: S'porean shuttler Loh Kean Yew exits after loss to Indonesia's Jonatan Christie, Sport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times
    [​IMG]
    This means Loh Kean Yew's Tokyo 2020 campaign has come to an end.ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
    [​IMG]
    David Lee
    • PUBLISHED
      3 HOURS AGO
    TOKYO - Singaporean shuttler Loh Kean Yew put up great resistance against world No. 7 Jonatan Christie, but the Indonesian, a gold medallist at the 2018 Asian Games, showed his pedigree to eke out a 22-20, 13-21, 21-18 win in 66 minutes at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza on Wednesday (July 28) to qualify for Olympics singles round of 16.

    This means Loh's Tokyo 2020 campaign has come to an end even though he had beaten refugee athlete and world No. 172 Aram Mahmoud 21-15, 21-12 on Monday as only group winners advance to the knockout rounds.

    Christie, who lost his older brother Ivan to Covid-19 earlier this year, will play China's world No. 11 Shi Yuqi on Thursday.

    The 42nd-ranked Loh initially had trouble countering Christie's superior court control and awareness and trailed 15-10 in the first game, but resiliently fought back to get to game point, only to lose 22-20.

    The next period began in a similar vein in the second game with Loh down 6-2. But he began to find his range, with his aggression bamboozling Christie who meekly surrendered the second game.

    However, after taking an early 4-1 lead in the decider, the match gradually slipped from Loh's grasp despite saving two match points.

    Earlier in the day, teammate and world No. 30 Yeo Jia Min lost 21-13, 21-14 to 18th-ranked South Korean Kim Ga-eun, who progressed from Group K into the women's singles round of 16 at the Singaporean's expense.

    (I think Loh lost because Jonathan has more experience. Loh spent too much energy in taking the second game. He was visibly short of breadth in G3 and was unable to play a steadier game to mount more aggressive attacks on Jonathan, as he did very successfully in G2. He was also affected by unforced errors at the net. Jonathan paced himself well in G3 and set up opportunities to attack Loh at every opportunity. Had Loh paced himself better, he stood a good chance of defeating Jonathan. Loh scored a total of 59 points against Jonathan's 56 points, and G1 was a close call,)
     
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  9. lodoss

    lodoss Regular Member

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    Ya, can see him rushing shots and then trying to calm himself down after every unforced errors. He have to learn and grow fast, as year after year, younger players will emerge to challenge the top.
     
  10. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Olympics: Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew ousted by Asian Games champion Christie
    Olympics: Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew ousted by Asian Games champion Christie, Latest Team Singapore News - The New Paper (tnp.sg)

    [​IMG]
    Singapore's Loh Kean Yew put up a good fight against Indonesia's Jonatan Christie.PHOTO: AFP
    [​IMG]
    Dilenjit Singh

    Sub Editor

    Jul 28, 2021 09:16 pm

    Singapore’s world No. 42 shuttler Loh Kean Yew exited the Olympics on Wednesday (July 28) but put up an excellent fighting display in a 2-1 (22-20, 13-21, 21-18) defeat by world No. 7 Jonatan Christie at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza.

    The 24-year-old had not beaten the Indonesian in three previous meetings, but like in all those matches, it was another three-setter.

    At Tokyo 2020, Loh fought back ferociously after trailing for virtually the entire first set, rattling off six of the next seven points at 14-18 down to lead 20-19 and get back to game-point.

    But the Singaporean failed to put away the reigning Asian Games champion and Christie, 23, capitalised, fighting back to take the set 22-20.

    Rather than despair about the one that got away, Loh made sure there would be no repeat in the second game with a more pro-active display.

    Coming back from 2-6 down, Loh first took the lead at 9-8, part of a sequence of 10 straight points which took the score to 15-9.

    [​IMG]
    TEAM SINGAPORE
    Olympics: Singapore's Yu Mengyu loses to China's world No. 1, to vie for bronze medal
    Jul 29, 2021
    Related Stories
    Olympics: Over-eagerness to win caused me to lose, says Loh Kean Yew
    Quah Ting Wen eyes 50m free redemption after 100m free exit
    Singapore's Yu Mengyu: Nothing to lose in s-final against world No. 1


    There was no looking back from there as the 24-year-old closed out the second set 21-13 to take the match to a third-set decider.

    An upset looked on the cards when Loh, who famously beat Lin Dan in the final of the Thailand Masters in 2019, took a 5-2 lead in the third set.

    Christie, a four-time SEA Games gold medallist, then fought back to take the lead at 6-5, never relinquishing it for the rest of the match.

    Loh kept it close, most notably narrowing the Indonesian’s lead to just one at 16-17 and saving two match-points, before eventually succumbing 21-18 to wrap up their 68-minute encounter.

    The 2019 SEA Games silver medallist’s compatriot, women’s world No. 30 Yeo Jia Min also exited Tokyo 2020 in the group stage, losing 21-13, 21-14 to South Korea’s world No. 18 Kim Ga-eun in just 30 minutes.

    Both Loh and Yeo, 22, were playing in their first Olympics.
     
  11. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    [​IMG]

    Badminton: Singapore's Loh Kean Yew falls to Indonesia's Christie in thriller, eliminated from Olympics

    By Matthew Mohan@MatthewMohanCNA
    28 Jul 2021 08:23PM(Updated: 28 Jul 2021 10:37PM)

    TOKYO:
    Loh Kean Yew pushed world number seven Jonatan Christie to his limits in the men’s singles at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza on Wednesday (Jul 28), but was eliminated after losing to the Indonesian in three sets.

    Loh, ranked 42nd in the world, kept pace with his higher ranked opponent early on but Christie eventually pulled away to establish a four point lead.

    But the Singaporean refused to lay down and would reel away five consecutive points to tie it up at 15-15. Christie however looked to have the slight edge and would take the first set 22-20.

    Loh had beaten IOC Refugee Olympic Team’s Aram Mahmoud on Monday and looked to have taken his game to another level against the Indonesian.

    Christie is the seventh seed in the tournament, while Loh is unseeded.

    And despite going behind, it was Loh that went into the interval 11-8 up as he once again came from behind. Loh would then take the set 21-13.

    The Singaporean then grabbed the initiative in the decider, racing to a 4-1 lead. But the Indonesia fought back with six straight points, and retook the lead at 7-5.

    Leading 11-7 after the interval, Christie proved too strong for the Singaporean and took the victory 21-18.

    The loss mean that Loh finished second in Group G with a win. Christie topped the group and progresses to the round of 16.

    "SIMPLE ERRORS"
    Speaking to the media after the match, Loh said his opponent handled the match better at the "crucial points" and noted this was something he needs to work on.

    "Actually on all of the games, I was on the losing side at first and caught up," he said. " So it'd be better if I was on the leading side, definitely." Despite making "a lot of simple errors", Loh said he did his best.

    He also added that he would like a shot at another Olympic Games.

    "That's another goal of mine. This time I didn't get a medal, so hopefully (in) the next one," he said.
     
  12. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    'I didn't want to miss this': Singapore's Loh Kean Yew on training with Olympic badminton champ Axelsen
    'I didn't want to miss this': Singapore's Loh Kean Yew on training with Olympic badminton champ Axelsen - CNA (channelnewsasia.com)
    [​IMG]
    Singapore's Loh Kean Yew poses for a photograph with Denmark's Viktor Axelsen. (Photo: Loh Kean Yew)

    [​IMG]
    Matthew Mohan
    @MatthewMohanCNA
    13 Sep 2021 06:10AM(Updated: 13 Sep 2021 06:10AM)
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    SINGAPORE: One week was all badminton player Loh Kean Yew had between the end of his quarantine after the Tokyo Olympics and the start of a new adventure.

    But he was raring to go. After all, it isn’t often you get the chance to train with an Olympic champion.

    The 24-year-old is currently in Dubai on a month-long training stint with Dane Viktor Axelsen and four badminton players from across the globe – Englishman Toby Penty, Canadian Brian Yang, Swede Felix Burestedt and India’s Sen Lakshya.

    “It’s always good to have overseas training opportunities to see how other people from other countries train and learn from each other – like different playing styles, different playing methods ... This is a very good opportunity, so I didn’t want to miss this,” Loh told CNA.

    “Furthermore, he (Axelsen) is an Olympic champion ... like how many times can you train with an Olympic champion?”

    Currently ranked second in the world, 27-year-old Axelsen beat China’s Chen Long in straight games to clinch the men’s singles title in Tokyo.

    Discussions for a possible training stint began some time ago, revealed Loh.

    “I trained with him (Axelsen) quite a bit when I was playing in the Denmark league that time, then I went to train with the (Danish) national team (for a few days) ... Then in 2020, we talked about it. He texted me and asked whether I was interested in this training camp where they get players from around the world, all around the world, to help each other improve,” said Loh, who had trained with Denmark's Langhoj Badminton Club for three months in 2018.

    “He said that he should (be able) to make it happen but it would be after the Olympics.”

    "VERY TIRING AND VERY FOCUSED"

    As part of his training regime in Dubai, Loh puts in double sessions six days a week – two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon from Sunday to Friday.

    “We have both technique, skills training and also physical training, like drills. It’s more of all of us training together,” he explained.

    Related:
    [​IMG]
    Badminton: Singapore's Loh Kean Yew falls to Indonesia's Christie in thriller, eliminated from Olympics
    “Training (styles) in Asia and Denmark are different. In Singapore, we train 30 minutes per drill per person. Whereas here it is one-and-a-half minutes then change, change, change – so it is more of interval training. It is very tiring and very focused because you only have one and a half minutes.”

    Loh has also been taking the time to observe and learn from Axelsen.

    Axelsen relocated to Dubai just last month, and made the move along with his wife and young daughter.

    “Now he is even more consistent. His shot quality is much better than the last time that I played with him (in February last year),” explained Loh, whose last competitive outing with the Dane was at the Spain Masters.

    Axelsen triumphed 13-21, 21-14, 21-15 and would eventually win the men’s singles title.

    “I’m still observing how he makes his shots so fast. Even from the front court, his shots are so fast. So I’m still trying to see how he hits the shuttle(cock),” added Loh.

    And there remains a gulf in class, pointed out the Singaporean.

    “I thought that I can follow (his standard), I thought that I can give (him) some fight. I thought it wasn’t that far, but it is much further than I thought,” said Loh.

    “He’s taking care of his baby right now, so even though he is not sleeping well, I’m still not at his standard. So imagine if he slept well!”

    But Loh is taking it all in his stride.

    His schedule will likely only see him returning to Singapore at the end of the year as he plans to compete in a number of tournaments in Europe and then the Bali Open in Indonesia.

    “It is always a good opportunity to train with other people because (there are) not many players in Singapore ... I always prefer to go out because it's an outside environment, out of (my) comfort zone,” he said.

    “I can use what I see from overseas and mix it with our own training (in Singapore) to make something out of it that is more suitable for me.”

    Related:
    [​IMG]
    From fanboy to beating the favourite: Singapore's badminton sensation is just getting started
     
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  13. cococo

    cococo Regular Member

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    Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if Loh Kean Yew stayed in Malaysia.

    I think I read somewhere that he had beaten Lee Zii Jia in badminton as children before although now as adults, Lee Zii Jia has the better ranking and head to head record. Well,they're both pretty good players anyway.

    If he had stayed in Malaysia,what kind of player would he be now? Would he be even better than he is now due to more sparring partners? Or worse due to more competition for resources? I guess those kinds of questions can't be answered.

    I understand why he left though,and in the long run it's probably best for him too,in terms of opportunities.
     
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  14. extremenanopowe

    extremenanopowe Regular Member

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    Sg BA are managed by money hunger people. Mentality different. No hunger to succeed. So, forget it lah. Sad case. Dun waste time. ;)
     
  15. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Singaporean badminton player Loh Kean Yew wins Dutch Open
    Singaporean badminton player Loh Kean Yew wins Dutch Open (channelnewsasia.com)

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    Singapore's Loh Kean Yew poses with the Yonex Dutch Open men's singles trophy on Oct 17, 2021. (Photo: Facebook/Edwin Tong, Loh Kean Yew)
    [​IMG]
    Kurt Ganapathy
    17 Oct 2021 10:34PM(Updated: 17 Oct 2021 10:37PM)
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    SINGAPORE: Singaporean badminton player Loh Kean Yew won the Yonex Dutch Open men's singles title on Sunday (Oct 17) after beating India’s Lakshya Sen 21-12, 21-16 in the final.

    Loh, the world No 41, was seeded second in the tournament held at the Topsportcentrum in Almere, near Amsterdam. He got to the final with victories over Russia’s Vladimir Malkov, Azerbaijan’s Ade Resky Dwicahyo, Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen and Spain’s Pablo Abian in the earlier rounds.

    Loh took 36 minutes to see off Sen, the world No 25 and top seed at the tournament, to claim his sixth international title – his first since the 2019 Thailand Masters, where he beat two-time Olympic singles champion Lin Dan in the final.

    The 24-year-old’s other titles came at the 2018 Mongolia International Series, the 2017 Malaysia International Series and the 2017 and 2014 Singapore International Series.

    The Singapore Badminton Association celebrated the victory in a Facebook post.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, we're incredibly pleased to extend our heartiest congratulations to the newly minted Yonex Dutch Open 2021 Men's Singles Champion... Our very own Mr Loh Kean Yew!” the association said.

    “Kean Yew won his match 21-12, 21-16 against top seed Lakshya Sen (IND) in a riveting and competitive match.”

    Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong congratulated Loh for his "impressive" display in the Netherlands.

    "Kean Yew was dominant in the final, winning in straight sets 21-12, 21-16. In fact, he did not drop a single game en route to the title. Impressive!" he said in a Facebook post.

    The Dutch Open was Loh’s first outing since the Tokyo Olympics, where he notched a win against Aram Mahmoud of the Netherlands before his elimination at the hands of Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie.

    Loh spent a month training with Denmark’s Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in Dubai after the Games.

    Singapore’s campaign at the Dutch Open continues in the final of the men’s doubles later on Sunday, with Terry Hee Yong Kai and Loh’s older brother Kean Hean facing Malaysia’s Tan Kian Meng and Tan Wee Kiong.
     
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  16. hybisme

    hybisme Regular Member

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    I hope it don't just end here!!
    Keep training with WELL and not waste his talent!!
     
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  17. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    And our MD of Terry Hee and Loh Kean Hean has beaten the Malaysian pair (6) of Tan Kian Meng and Tan Wee Kiong in a nail-biting finish of 21-14, 18-21, and 22-20.

    Our XD pair of Terry Hee/Tan Wei Han and WS, Jaslyn Hooi have also done well by reaching the SF/QF.

    Congratulations to all our above Singapore players as well as our MS Champion, Loh Kean Yew.
     
    #1657 Loh, Oct 17, 2021
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2021
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  18. lodoss

    lodoss Regular Member

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    Loh likes this.
  19. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Singapore's Loh tamed by Olympic champ Axelsen in Denmark Open
    Badminton: Singapore's Loh tamed by Olympic champ Axelsen in Denmark Open, Sport News & Top Stories - The Straits Times
    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Yew (left) fell 21-19, 21-14 to Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen.PHOTOS: ST FILE, EPA-EFE
    [​IMG]
    David Lee

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    SINGAPORE - National badminton player Loh Kean Yew fell 21-19, 21-14 to Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in the first round of the Denmark Open on Wednesday (Oct 20).

    For most of the first game and half of the second, the Singaporean had kept within striking distance of the home favourite at the Odense Sports Park.

    But the Danish world No. 2 stepped up at the business end of both games to carve out a victory over world No. 39 Loh in 35 minutes .

    Buoyed by his victory at the lower-tier Dutch Open last week, the 24-year-old Singaporean took the game to Axelsen, whom he trained with for a month in Dubai in August and September.

    However, the Dane showed superior net play to take the first game.

    The duo were similarly neck-and-neck in the second, before Axelsen pulled away after 12-12.

    In the women's singles, Singapore's world No. 30 Yeo Jia Min lost 21-14, 21-17 to China's world No. 9 He Bingjiao in 38 minutes.

    Yeo, 22, had led He 14-12 in the first game before the 2018 World Championships bronze medallist rolled off nine points in a row.

    In the second game, they were tied at 9-9, before He pulled away.
     
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  20. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Double delight for Loh household
    Double delight for Loh household, Latest Team Singapore News - The New Paper (tnp.sg)
    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Hean (right) with doubles partner Terry Hee. PHOTO: RENE LAGERWAARD
    Oct 19, 2021 06:00 am

    After watching his younger brother Loh Kean Yew lift the Dutch Open men's singles trophy, Loh Kean Hean was extra motivated to make it a family double at the Topsportcentrum Almere on Sunday.

    Three hours later, Kean Hean combined with Terry Hee to beat Malaysian sixth seeds Tan Wee Kiong and Tan Kian Meng 21-14, 18-21, 22-20 for the men's doubles title and 1,350 euro (S$2,110) cheque.

    Kean Hean, 26, said: "It feels amazing. Since Kean Yew has been travelling a lot, we rarely spend time together. So being able to play in the same tournament and end up winning our respective events is a great feeling."

    The world No.190 duo - both Penang-born - have been partners for close to five years and their chemistry showed against a new Malaysian pairing, even if it did boast Wee Kiong, who won the Rio 2016 men's doubles silver with Goh V Shem.

    Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew said of Kean Hean and Hee: "They both have good movement so they cover the court well, they have good front and mid-court skills which can make them difficult to break down by opponents."

    And so it proved in the deciding game. Nearing the finish line, the Malaysians had done well to expand their lead to 19-16, and even had a match-point at 20-19. But the Singaporeans battled back for a morale-boosting win, their second as a partnership.

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    TEAM SINGAPORE
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    Kean Hean said: "We were very focused on our strategy of being more offensive and keeping the shuttlecock down and didn't really put a lot of thought into the score. I felt this made a difference psychologically."

    The win was also a testament to Hee's fitness as the 26-year-old also reached the mixed doubles semi-final with Tan Wei Han, which meant he played four matches - two quarter-finals and two semi-finals on Saturday.

    He said: "Playing four times a day was tough and sadly I lost the mixed doubles in the semis, but physically I feel fine."

    Hee and Kean Hean will get the opportunity to build on their momentum as they are slated to play in the Oct 21-24 Czech Open and Oct 27-30 Belgian International next. - DAVID LEE
     
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