Loh Kean Yew / 骆建佑

Discussion in 'Professional Players' started by Loh, Aug 29, 2019.

  1. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    ‘I can’t imagine what they went through’: Sportsman of the Year Loh Kean Yew thanks his parents
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    Loh Kean Yew won his maiden Sportsman of the Year award on Thursday at the Singapore Sports Awards. ST PHOTO: FELINE LIM
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    Deepanraj Ganesan

    PUBLISHED
    NOV 10, 2022, 9:30 PM SGT

    SINGAPORE – A figure of concentration on court, Singapore badminton star Loh Kean Yew admitted that he was a bundle of nerves after the 25-year-old beat former pool world No. 1 Aloysius Yapp to win his maiden Sportsman of the Year award on Thursday at the Singapore Sports Awards.

    Loh’s latest win came just two days after he broke into the top three in the world rankings for the first time in his career.

    Despite the visible jitters after he received a trophy and a cheque for $10,000 on stage at the Marina Bay Sands Orchid Ballroom, Loh’s attention immediately shifted to thanking his parents who were in attendance.

    And when speaking to the media after the ceremony, he once again paid tribute to mother Grace Gan, 58, and father Loh Pin Keat, 60.

    “When I started (playing) badminton, it was not easy for them to support me and my brother (Kean Hean) together to go for training because we were not well off,” said Loh, who was born in Penang.

    “They took us to practice and would wait because I used to train till 12 am. One of the most important sacrifices they made was to send us to Singapore. I can’t imagine what they went through every day with their children being away from them. That is one of the biggest sacrifices – not being able to spend time with us.”

    So it was only fitting that when Loh – only the second badminton player to be named Sportsman of the Year after Ronald Susilo in 2005 – was asked how he would celebrate, he said he would do so by spending time with his parents.

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    In December 2021, Loh became the first Singaporean to win the BWF World Championships. Before that historic triumph, he had also won the Dutch Open in October and Germany’s Hylo Open a month later.

    In April, he was also crowned the ST Athlete of the Year 2021.

    Up next for Loh is the Nov 15-20 Australian Open, where he just needs to beat India’s Mithun Manjunath in the first round to seal his spot at the prestigious season-ending World Tour Finals.

    Meanwhile, table tennis player Yu Mengyu, 33, won the Sportswoman of the Year award over fencer Amita Berthier and bowler Shayna Ng. She also received a trophy and a $10,000 cheque.

    Yu, a first-time winner, had won plaudits at the Tokyo Games in 2021 after fighting through an injury in the semi-final against China’s eventual gold medallist Chen Meng, before losing to Japan’s Mima Ito in the third-place playoff.

    She announced her retirement in March to take up a role as an assistant coach for the Singapore Table Tennis Association’s junior development squad for high-potential athletes aged nine to 12.

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    Yu is already eyeing another gong at future editions of the SSA. She said: “This is my last award as an athlete. As a coach, I hope I can pass on my experiences to the youngsters. I hope I can win the Coach of the Year award in the future. Sports is not just about winning, it is also about inspiring others. Every athlete who gives their best is a hero.”

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    The annual event, which was organised by the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and Sport Singapore and supported by the Tote Board, honours national athletes and coaches for their performances and achievements. It was making its return after a one-year hiatus as a result of the pandemic.

    There were eight main awards presented by SNOC president Tan Chuan-Jin, Tote Board chief executive Fong Yong Kian and Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth and Social and Family Development.

    Singapore Bowling Federation national head coach Jason Yeong-Nathan bagged the Coach of the Year award, while the men’s bowling team of Cheah Ray Han, Darren Ong, Jonovan Neo and Jomond Chia were Team of the Year.

    Table tennis player Ser Lin Qian was named Sportsgirl of the Year while kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder was Sportsboy of the Year.

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    The Straits Times was also a winner – assistant sports editor Rohit Brijnath won the Most Inspiring Sport Story of the Year for his piece “The best but most unsparing teacher in sport: Losing”.

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    Singapore Sports Awards winners
    Sportsman of the Year: Loh Kean Yew (badminton)

    Sportswoman of the Year: Yu Mengyu (table tennis)

    Sportsboy of the Year: Maximilian Maeder (sailing)

    Sportsgirl of the Year: Ser Lin Qian (table tennis)

    Coach of the Year: Jason Yeong-Nathan (bowling)

    Team of the Year (Event): Bowling men’s team (Cheah Ray Han, Darren Ong, Jonovan Neo and Jomond Chia)
     
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  2. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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  3. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Power and precision: The art and science behind Loh Kean Yew’s smash
    Power and precision: The art and science behind Loh Kean Yew’s smash | The Straits Times

    In July 2022, teams from The Straits Times and Singapore Polytechnic gathered at ITE College Central for a special project: To capture the lethal smash technique of 2021 World Badminton champion Loh Kean Yew.
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    Rohit Brijnath
    Assistant Sports Editor

    PUBLISHED
    8 HOURS AGO

    Rohit Brijnath
    Assistant Sports Editor

    PUBLISHED
    8 HOURS AGO

    A white missile made of feathers, string, cork, tape and leather is hurtling at me at a speed which suggests prayer would be useful. There is no time to think or react or even panic. Because Loh Kean Yew, who is smashing a badminton shuttle from across the net, is the equivalent of an airborne sniper.

    Fortunately, right now he’s aiming to miss me.

    We’re in Block F, a vast multi-purpose hall at ITE College Central in Ang Mo Kio on a quiet evening in early July. Loh is wearing 14 sensors on his hands, forearms, chest, upper arms, thighs, calves and feet and is surrounded by three motion-capture cameras. Looking on are members of The Straits Times’ interactive graphics team and students from the Singapore Polytechnic’s Media, Arts & Design school and their instructors Kenny Ong and Christian James Sethmohan. Together we’re trying to dissect the movement and technique involved in one of the most fascinating strokes of sport.

    The badminton smash.

    Speed is one of the fascinations of sport and humans are obsessed by how fast we can run, drive, hit, kick. Radar guns compute the speed of tennis serves (fastest at 263.4kmh) and measure the output of cricket’s fast bowlers (161.3 kmh).

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Interactive: How Loh Kean Yew unleashes his winning smash

    But badminton, in part a dainty sport of feel and feathered spin, has an unparalleled ferocity. A smash in competition has been measured at 426kmh and almost nothing in mainstream sport moves at such velocity. In short, a Loh smash – he says he’s hit the odd one over 400kmh – would overtake a Formula One car moving at the fastest speed it ever has in a race (372.5kmh).

    But the smash isn’t just about speed, it’s about accuracy, disguise, when to use it and how to vary its direction and angle. But breaking its elements down, in a project which has never been attempted in the Singapore media, required a volunteer.

    Up stepped Loh, the 2021 world champion and 2022 Sportsman of the Year in Singapore.

    We needed roughly three hours of his time, patience with the technology and a willingness from him to hit a succession of smashes.

    Sure, he said.

    Loh arrived on time, no entourage in sight, his smile in place and his competition shoes neatly packed in a separate bag. We asked him to bring T-shirts in two different colours. He brought five. When he changed shirts, he folded them carefully. A meticulous project required such a fastidious player.

    Loh first stepped into a 3D Fullbody Scanner called the Botspot Botscan NEO. He stood still in a circular space, arms by his side, as the machine created a “true digital twin” of him “with a measurement accuracy up to 1mm”.

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    Badminton player Loh Kean Yew putting on multiple sensors. ST PHOTOS: AZIM AZMAN
    Will the scan take long, I asked the technician?

    “0.01 of second,” he replied.

    The scanning done, we took Loh to the hall, got him fitted with sensors and then looked for a volunteer. Someone to stand across the net and toss the shuttle up so that he could smash. It was my lucky day.

    The smash can feel like an athletic detonation and Loh smiles and says: “I think my body has a certain explosive quality. Just something I was born with.” When he leaps, he ascends vertically like a rocket though his legs fold underneath him like wheels retracting in a plane. He rises on average about 50-60cm and his racket – as Martin Andrew, technical director at the Singapore Badminton Association explains – impacts the shuttle at roughly three metres. The net at the centre is at 1.52m.

    Loh’s jump gives him height and this height offers him more angles and enlarges the area a rival has to defend. Once in the air, he is working on instinct, doing high-speed calculations on angles, assessing a rival’s weakness and deciding if he should smash to the forehand, the backhand or the body. This is split-second skill.

    Loh, like many athletes, is an investigator of his own art and so he is enjoying the exercise. What we film becomes information for him. “It’s a good thing to find out about how I move my body,” he says, “how I arch my back, how high do I reach. It’s a good discovery.” There is physics at work here but also geometry. “We want to go for the lines for sure (when we smash),” he says, “but we won’t be able to always do that. So we try to go as close to the lines as possible.”

    Technicians fiddle with Loh’s sensors. Like athletes, they’re tinkerers. Perfection is everyone’s pursuit here. I’m using one of Loh’s rackets and it cuts the air like a cane.

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    In the mid-1990s, says Andrew, Indian players who preferred to play a controlled net game would string their rackets at 16-22 pounds because a lower string tension offered superior control but less power. With the advancements in racket and string technology, a higher string tension is used to enable greater power and also control. Since Loh’s work involves power, his racket is strung at 31-32 pounds with strings as thin as 0.65mm to 0.7mm.

    The smash in real time is a blur, but it is made up of multiple, high-precision movements which are perfectly coordinated. A lot is happening in very little time. Loh, as our project reveals, stands sideways and behind the shuttle as he prepares to smash. As he rises, his body is moving forward even as his core is rotating. His right arm extends on impact, his wrist snaps and as he strikes the shuttle, his racket-head speed is ferocious.

    Unseen by us tiny adjustments are being made on land and in the air. During a rally he holds the racket higher on the grip, but for the smash, he slides his hand lower to create a longer lever. The racket is held loosely but then as he smashes, his fingers tighten around the grip. To hold it tight constantly is to create unwanted tension.

    The smash matters because it is often the equivalent of a full stop. It’s a rally-finisher, a dominant message to a rival and a piece of violent art which never gets tiring to watch. “To kill your opponent with a smash,” grins Loh, “is pretty satisfying.” Yet he’s modest and will tell you his smash is nothing like his Malaysian rival Lee Zii Jia’s. “He has crazy strong smashes,” he laughs. “Sometimes I felt (in comparison) I was shooting from a BB gun.”

    Time is ticking away and so is the rare privilege of being on court with a great player. It’s like being allowed a peek into a foreign universe. As Loh rises, arches, cocks his body and pulls the trigger, I’m left wondering at the dazzling reflex of players who somehow return these smashes. We might be studying the science of sport on this day, but this athletic world always has an element of magic.

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    Heavy is the head that wears the crown: S'pore's shuttler Loh Kean Yew on his struggles with form
    Badminton player Loh Kean Yew is The Straits Times' Athlete of the Year 2021
     
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  4. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew is first Singaporean man to reach World Tour Finals
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    Loh Kean Yew's 25-minute victory at the Quay Centre in Sydney was enough to seal his passage to the BWF World Tour Finals. PHOTO: ST FILES
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    David Lee
    Sports Correspondent

    PUBLISHED
    9 HOURS AGO

    SINGAPORE – Loh Kean Yew’s 21-10, 21-9 first-round win over Australia’s 427th-ranked Low Pit Seng at the Australian Open on Wednesday might have been routine, but it was a seismic victory in the grander scheme of things for the Singaporean world No. 3.

    His 26-minute victory at the Quay Centre in Sydney was enough to seal his passage to the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals, making him the first Singaporean man to qualify for the prestigious season-ender.

    The World Tour Finals features the year’s eight best performers in the singles and doubles. In 2021, team-mate Yeo Jiamin became the first player from the Republic to achieve the same feat.

    It has been another breakthrough year for 2021 world champion Loh, who will play Indonesia’s world No. 23 Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo or China’s 27th-ranked Li Shifeng in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday.

    In his first year of gaining access to all of the top-tiered events on the World Tour, the newly crowned Sportsman of the Year has yet to win a tournament. However, he made it to at least the quarter-finals in 11 out of 15 events (seven out of 11 on the World Tour) and the consistency has helped in his pursuit of the Finals ticket.

    He currently occupies the seventh spot among the top eight in the World Tour Finals qualification rankings. These may not correspond with the world rankings, that may still take in results from the previous year.

    The other men’s singles players to have made the cut are Denmark’s world and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, Taiwanese Chou Tien-chen, India’s H. S. Prannoy, Indonesians Jonatan Christie and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and Japan’s Kodai Naraoka.

    The last spot will go to China’s Lu Guangzu or Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, who are drawn to face each other in the second round in Australia should they advance. That means only one of them stands a chance of overtaking Loh.

    Meanwhile, Loh could still be joined by compatriots Terry Hee and Jessica Tan at the Finals.

    With numerous top mixed doubles players opting not to head Down Under, the path is open for the Singaporean Commonwealth Games champions to squeeze into the top eight of the Finals qualification rankings. They are currently 12th.

    To do so, they need to win the Australian Open to secure enough points to overtake four pairs currently in front of them. They play South Korea’s 22nd-ranked Seo Seung-jae and Chae Yu-jung in the second round on Thursday.

    On Tuesday, the BWF announced that its US$1.5 million (S$2.05 million) Finals have been moved from Guangzhou, China to Bangkok, Thailand. The dates have also been brought forward from Dec 14-18 to Dec 7-11.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Interactive: How Loh Kean Yew unleashes his winning smash
    ‘I can’t imagine what they went through’: Sportsman of the Year Loh Kean Yew thanks his parents
     
  5. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Loh Kean Yew falls at quarter-final hurdle again to Shi Yuqi
    Loh Kean Yew falls at quarter-final hurdle again to Shi Yuqi (yahoo.com)
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    Chia Han Keong

    ·Editor
    Fri, 18 November 2022 at 6:48 pm·1-min read
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    Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew in action at the Australian Open. (PHOTO: Luis Veniegra/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    SINGAPORE — Loh Kean Yew has reached 10 quarter-finals in the 14 BWF World Tour events he competed in 2022 - an indication of his consistent performances this year.

    However, he has gone on to the semi-finals only four times this year and, at the Australian Open on Friday (18 November), the 25-year-old fell again in the last-eight stage, losing a hard-fought match to China's Shi Yuqi 21-17, 16-21, 13-21 in 64 minutes.

    Perhaps the world No.3's previous match - another tough three-game battle against another Chinese shuttler, Li Shifeng - took too much out of him. But after making a good start, Loh ran out of steam in the final game, slipping into a 3-14 hole that proved too much for him to recover.

    The former world champion has yet to win a tournament on the BWF Tour this year, with only next month's World Tour Finals left on the calendar. Loh has nonetheless qualified for the season-ending event in Bangkok, where only the top eight shuttlers of the season can compete in.

    For the men's singles, the eight players who qualified for the World Tour Finals are: Viktor Axelsen, Chou Tien-chen, H.S. Prannoy, Jonatan Christie, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Kodai Naraoka, Loh and Lu Guangzu.
     
  6. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Loh Kean Yew nominated for BWF Male Player of the Year
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    Chia Han Keong

    ·Editor
    Mon, November 28, 2022 at 1:31 PM·2 min read

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    Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew in action at the French Open in October 2022. (PHOTO: Shi Tang/Getty Images)

    SINGAPORE — He has already been named Sportsman of the Year at the annual Singapore Sports Awards, as well as the Player of the Year at Singapore Badminton Association Awards earlier this month.

    And former world champion Loh Kean Yew could be in line for more honours next month, as he is among three nominees for the Male Player of the Year accolade in the annual Badminton World Federation (BWF) Player of the Year awards for 2022.

    The current world No.3 joins world No.1 Viktor Axelsen and No.2 Lee Zii Jia as the shuttlers nominated for the prestigious award, based on performances in the 2021/2022 season from 1 November last year to 31 October this year.

    Axelsen will be the favourite to win the award after a stellar year in which he clinched seven BWF World Tour titles, including last year's World Tour Finals.

    Loh, on the other hand, claimed the biggest trophy in the BWF World Championships men's singles title last December, becoming the first Singaporean shuttler to win the elite competition. He has, however, not won another title since that monumental feat.

    Lee won the Thailand Open and the Badminton Asian Championships in May.

    The annual awards ceremony will be held on 5 December, in conjunction with the BWF World Tour Finals 2022 gala dinner in Bangkok. Here are the nominees for each category:
    • Male Player of the Year: Viktor Axelsen, Lee Zii Jia, Loh Kean Yew.

    • Female Player of the Year: Akane Yamaguchi, An Se-young, Tai Tzu-ying.

    • Pair of the Year: Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, Chen Qingchen/Jia Yifan, Dechapol Puavaranukroh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai, Zheng Siwei/Huang Yaqiong.

    • Most Improved Player of the Year: Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto, H.S. Prannoy, Jeong Na-eun/Kim Hye-jeong.

    • Most Promising Player: Kodai Naraoka, Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto/Lisa Ayu Kusumawati, Alex Lanier.

    • Male Para Badminton Player of the Year: Daiki Kajiwara, Cheah Liek Hou, Lucas Mazur, Chu Man Kai, Pramod Bhagat, Choi Jung-man.

    • Female Para Badminton Player of the Year: Manisha Ramdass, Nithya Sre Sumathy, Sarina Satomi, Carmen Giuliana Poveda Flores, Manasi Girishchandra Joshi, Pilar Jauregui Cancino.

    • Para Badminton Pair of the Year: Fredy Setiawan/Khalimatus Sadiyah Sukohandoko, Thomas Wandschneider/Rick Cornell Hellman, Lucas Mazur/Faustine Noel, Muhammad Ikhwan Ramli/Noor Azwan Noorlan, Sarina Satomi/Yuma Yamazaki, Subhan Subhan/Rina Marlina.
     
  7. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew ‘honoured’ to be nominated for BWF Male Player of the Year award
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    Loh Kean Yew receiving the Singapore Badminton Association's Player of the Year award on Nov 20, 2022. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
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    David Lee
    Sports Correspondent

    PUBLISHED
    NOV 30, 2022, 9:06 AM SGT

    SINGAPORE – World No. 3 Loh Kean Yew has been shortlisted as one of three candidates for the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) Male Player of the Year award.

    Aptly, the top three men’s singles players have been nominated, with Singaporean Loh, the 2021 world champion, joining Denmark’s reigning world champion and world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen and Malaysia’s Asian champion and world No. 2 Lee Zii Jia on the shortlist.

    The BWF released its Player of the Year Awards shortlist on Monday and said the nominees were selected based on performances from Nov 1, 2021 to Oct 31, 2022.

    The winners will be chosen by the BWF Awards Commission and the awards will be handed out at the BWF World Tour Finals gala dinner in Bangkok on Dec 5.

    Cheekily, Loh had posted an Instagram story to say he would vote for himself.

    But on a more serious note, he told The Straits Times: “I’m honoured to be one of BWF’s nominees.

    “Whatever the result is, the nomination is a recognition of my hard work and results over the past 12 months. It is something I don’t take for granted, and I will strive to continue to improve all aspects of my game.

    “I have been doing my best to get ready for my first World Tour Finals in the past two weeks and I hope to do well in Bangkok.”

    The awards recognise the achievements of elite able-bodied and para players in eight categories. This is the first time a Singaporean player has made the shortlist, but Loh has already developed a knack for creating history.

    During the assessment period, he won the Hylo Open in Germany and reached the Indonesia Open final in November 2021. He then stunned the badminton fraternity by becoming the first Singaporean to win the World Championship in December in Spain.

    His exploits helped him become Singapore’s Sportsman of the Year and the Singapore Badminton Association’s Player of the Year as well as The Straits Times’ Athlete of the Year.

    While he has yet to win a title in 2022, the 25-year-old was happy with his consistency, as he made it to at least the quarter-finals in eight out of 12 BWF World Tour individual events.

    This helped him reach a career high in the world rankings – also a joint-Singapore best alongside 1990s star Zarinah Abdullah – and qualify for the Dec 7-11 BWF World Tour Finals in Bangkok.

    Loh is the first Singaporean man to qualify for the prestigious season-ender, after women’s singles teammate Yeo Jia Min became the first player from the Republic to achieve the feat in 2021.

    However, Axelsen will be the man to beat as he won a whopping seven BWF World Tour titles, as well as the world and European Championships crowns, during the period. He was also the 2020-2021 BWF Male Player of the Year.

    Lee, on the other hand, won the Thailand Open and Asian Championships but did not qualify for the World Tour Finals.

    BWF Player of the Year Awards nominees
    Male Player of the Year: Viktor Axelsen, Lee Zii Jia, Loh Kean Yew

    Female Player of the Year: Akane Yamaguchi, An Se-young, Tai Tzu-ying

    Pair of the Year: Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan, Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong

    Most Improved Player of the Year: Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto, H.S. Prannoy, Jeong Na-eun and Kim Hye-jeong

    Most Promising Player: Kodai Naraoka, Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Lisa Ayu Kusumawati, Alex Lanier

    Male Para Badminton Player of the Year: Daiki Kajiwara, Cheah Liek Hou, Lucas Mazur, Chu Man Kai, Pramod Bhagat, Choi Jung-man

    Female Para Badminton Player of the Year: Manisha Ramdass, Nithya Sre Sumathy, Sarina Satomi, Carmen Giuliana Poveda Flores, Manasi Girishchandra Joshi, Pilar Jauregui Cancino

    Para Badminton Pair of the Year: Fredy Setiawan and Khalimatus Sadiyah Sukohandoko, Thomas Wandschneider and Rick Cornell Hellman, Lucas Mazur and Faustine Noel, Muhammad Ikhwan Ramli and Noor Azwan Noorlan, Sarina Satomi and Yuma Yamazaki, Subhan Subhan and Rina Marlina.
     
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  8. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew gets tough World Tour Finals draw
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    Loh Kean Yew has been drawn with Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen and Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting at the BWF World Tour Finals. PHOTO: BADMINTONPHOTO
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    David Lee
    Sports Correspondent

    PUBLISHED
    9 HOURS AGO

    BANGKOK – Singapore’s top badminton player Loh Kean Yew dodged world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen for his first Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals group stage, but still has a mountain to climb to get out of Group B.

    At the draw held at the Centara Grand in the Thai capital on Monday, the world No. 3 was drawn in a group comprising top-10 players, who had an extra two weeks’ rest while Loh had to compete at the Australian Open in November to secure qualification.

    The 25-year-old will meet Taiwanese world No. 4 Chou Tien-chen and Indonesia’s world No. 5 Jonatan Christie and seventh-ranked Anthony Sinisuka Ginting.

    Meanwhile in Group A, defending champion Axelsen, who is also the reigning Olympic champion, had the rub of the green as he will face players outside the top 10 – India’s world No. 12 H.S. Prannoy, Japan’s Kodai Naraoka (14) and China’s Lu Guangzu (17).

    The top two from each group proceed to the semi-finals.

    Ever jovial, Loh said: “I have never put too much hope in my luck with tournament draws because it’s rarely good. So, I guess I’ll have to do it the hard way.

    “To be fair, (whoever is in) the World Tour Finals will be a strong player and the most consistent for the entire year, so there’s no easy group.

    “This is my last tournament of the year. It’s been a tiring season but I’ll hang in there, and I’m looking forward to seeing how we will perform at this tournament.”

    The US$1.5 million (S$2.03 million) BWF World Tour Finals, which features the year’s eight best performers in the singles and doubles, is from Wednesday to Sunday at the Nimibutr Arena in Bangkok. The tournament schedule will be released on Tuesday.

    After stunning the badminton fraternity to win the world championship in 2021, Loh has had a fine first season playing a full complement of elite events.

    On the BWF World Tour, he reached at least the quarter-finals in seven out of 11 tournaments, made one final and three other semi-finals to rise to a career-high ranking.

    He can even climb to No. 2 if he wins the World Tour Finals, but does not want to get ahead of himself.

    “I prefer not to overthink things, and just want to take it one match at a time,” he said.

    National singles coach Kelvin Ho is confident Loh can give a good fight to his Group B opponents, despite having a generally disadvantageous head-to-head record against Chou (2-3), Christie (0-5) and Ginting (2-2).

    He said: “I think it is a good draw because playing against the best can bring out the best in Kean Yew. He has a fighting chance for sure.

    “He has the ability. It is whether he can go into the matches with the right and positive mentality.

    “It is true that he has not beaten Jonatan, but the margins have been close.

    “We won’t be making drastic changes, but we will analyse our opponents and improvise accordingly.”

    The draw preceded the BWF annual awards in which Axelsen and Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi were crowned the Male and Female Players of the Year respectively.

    After winning back-to-back awards, Axelsen, who also has five wins from nine World Tour events, said: “It feels good because this is a big thing and a result of a lot of hard work.

    “After the French Open, I launched my book and then trained in Dubai. I have been able to maintain good condition and practise with no injuries, which is the most important thing. Hopefully my body will allow me to play at a high level here and I’m looking forward to getting started.”

    BWF Awards Honour Roll

    Male Player of the Year: Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)

    Female Player of the Year: Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)

    Pair of the Year: Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong (China)

    Most Promising Player: Kodai Naraoka (Japan)

    Most Improved Player of the Year: Fajar Alfian and Rian Ardianto (Indonesia)

    Male Para Badminton Player of the Year: Daiki Kajiwara (Japan)

    Female Para Badminton Player of the Year: Manisha Ramadass (India)

    Para Badminton Pair of the Year: Thomas Wandschneider and Rick Hellmann (Germany)
     
  9. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew wins on BWF Tour Finals debut
    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Yew defeated Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien-chen in his BWF World Tour Finals debut, on Dec 7, 2022. PHOTO: COURTESY OF BADMINTONPHOTO
    [​IMG]
    David Lee
    Sports Correspondent
    UPDATED
    9 HOURS AGO

    BANGKOK – Making his debut at the Badminton World Federation World Tour Finals, Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew cruised to a first win in his men’s singles Group B opener as he beat Taiwanese Chou Tien-chen 21-15, 21-17 at the Nimibutr Arena on Wednesday.

    But the 25-year-old Loh insisted his victory, which levelled their head-to-head record at 3-3, was tougher than it looked.

    Admitting to nerves before every match, he said: “It was quite drifty, so it wasn’t easy as everybody is trying to adapt to the court conditions... The shuttles are quite fast, which is generally good for me, but other factors also come into play when I’m up against the best players.

    “So, I’m definitely happy to be on the winning side. There are still two more matches to go and anything can happen. Hopefully, things will still get better.”

    While world No. 3 Loh is now well-known for his ferocious smashes, he put up an excellent all-round performance, which included gasp-inducing saves and delicate drops.

    He and national singles coach Kelvin Ho analysed Chou well, as several clears and smashes were placed beyond the reach of the world No. 4, who used up his quota of two unsuccessful challenges early in the first game when trailing 6-3.

    In a flash, Loh was leading 16-8, which gave him a comfortable buffer to see out the game.

    The second game followed a similar vein, with Loh keeping Chou guessing with a good mix of smashes and drop shots as he built a 12-6 advantage.

    Favourable net cords would help the 32-year-old narrow the gap to 15-14, but the Singaporean held his nerve to record his first win at the prestigious US$1.5 million (S$2 million) season-ender featuring only the best eight performers of the year in each of the five categories.

    Cue an emotional double fist pump as the straight-game victory sent him top of Group B, with Indonesia’s world No. 7 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting second after he beat fifth-ranked compatriot Jonatan Christie 6-21, 21-10, 21-9.


    Highlights | Chou Tien Chen Loh Kean Yew in high-octane men's singles clash
    Chou Tien Chen Loh Kean Yew in high-octane men's singles clash. #BWFWorldTourFinals #Bangkok2022
    Posted by BWF — Badminton World Federation on Wednesday, December 7, 2022

    Sharing how they had prepared extensively for various wind speeds – folding the feathers of the shuttlecocks inwards to simulate faster conditions and outwards for slower ones during training – Ho said: “We were well-prepared and Kean Yew stuck to the game plan.

    “He managed to capitalise on his opponent’s habitual shots and performed very well today to get the first win.”

    The sprinkling of Singaporean fans celebrating with the national flag also motivated him.

    Acknowledging the support, Loh said: “I have some friends among them whom I haven’t met for a long time, and I also saw other fans and quite a few Singapore flags, which is always nice and makes me happy.”

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew ‘honoured’ to be nominated for BWF Male Player of the Year award
    Power and precision: The art and science behind Loh Kean Yew’s smash

    The top two players in each group advance to the semi-finals and Loh will face both Indonesians next. He plays Christie, whom he has not beaten in five attempts, on Thursday before facing Ginting, with whom the spoils are shared at 2-2, a day later.

    Overall, it was a good first day for some World Tour Finals debutants, as Japanese starlet and world No. 14 Kodai Naraoka beat India’s 12th-ranked H. S. Prannoy 21-12, 9-21, 21-17 in their men’s singles Group A meeting.

    However, China’s world No. 17 Lu Guangzu lost 21-13, 21-11 to Denmark’s world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen, who leads Group A.

    In the women’s singles Group A, Indonesia’s Gregoria Mariska Tunjung produced the day’s biggest upset when the world No. 18 beat China’s Olympic champion and world No. 4 Chen Yufei 21-9, 14-21, 21-16.

    Tunjung, 23, said: “She didn’t settle down well in the first game so I tried to put as much pressure on her as possible. During the match, I tried my best not to think about the result and just gave my all, and I’m happy with the win.”
     
  10. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew lets slip two match points in loss to Indonesian Jonatan Christie
    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Yew squandered two match points to lose 16-21, 22-20, 21-10 to Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie in the match on Dec 8, 2022. PHOTO: BADMINTONPHOTO
    [​IMG]
    David Lee
    Sports Correspondent
    UPDATED
    3 MINS AGO

    BANGKOK – Loh Kean Yew’s hoodoo against Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie continued as he squandered two match points to lose 16-21, 22-20, 21-10 in their Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals Group B match on Thursday.

    The defeat - coupled with Indonesian world No. 7 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting’s win over Taiwanese world No. 4 Chou Tien-chen - meant there is all to play for in their final group matches on Friday.

    The US$1.5 million (S$2 million) tournament at the Nimibutr Arena features the eight best performing players in the singles and doubles categories, and Loh is the first Singaporean man to qualify for the prestigious season-ender, which runs until Sunday.

    The top two players from each group progress to the semi-finals, and Ginting is currently top of Group A with two wins. Both Loh and Christie have one win, but the Singaporean world No. 3 dropped to third because of his latest defeat.

    While Chou is bottom with two losses, he may still sneak into the last four on game difference if he beats Christie in straight games, and Ginting does the same to Loh.

    Conversely, Loh may also advance on game difference even if he loses to Ginting, if Chou beats Christie to leave three players on one win.

    Ginting could also still be eliminated on game difference if he loses to Loh and Christie beats Chou to leave three players on two wins.

    Despite never beating Christie in five previous attempts, the Singaporean had started their match on the front foot, with his sharpness matching his aggression. He produced eight winners from smashes, with only one finding the net, to take an early lead.

    Fighting for his tournament life, Indonesia’s world No. 5 stepped up in the second game to build a 7-3 advantage, only for Loh to come back and lead 11-10 at the interval.

    In an intriguing tactical battle with more rallies than the first game, they traded leads again after the break and Loh looked to have broken the curse and Christie’s spirit with a diving save which he somehow managed to convert into a brilliant cross-court clear to make it 15-15 before making it 20-18 as the opponent dumped consecutive shots into the net.

    But Christie also showed great fighting spirit, producing ferocious smashes when he needed it most to save the match points and win the game with four points on the trot.

    A punctured Loh then made far too many unforced errors in the decider as he counted the cost of not being able to close out the match when he could.
     
  11. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew knocked out of BWF World Tour Finals after second group stage defeat

    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Yew (right) lost 21-12, 23-21 to Indonesian Anthony Sinisuka Ginting on Friday. PHOTO: EPA-EFE
    [​IMG]
    David Lee
    Sports Correspondent
    UPDATED
    9 HOURS AGO

    BANGKOK – The rapturous crowd were on the edge of their seats after Singapore’s world No. 3 Loh Kean Yew saved two match points and earned one of his own to make it 21-20 in the second game of his Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals Group B match against Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting.

    But a decider was not forthcoming as world No. 7 Ginting claimed the next two points to win 21-12, 23-21 in 38 minutes and advance to the semi-finals at the Singaporean’s expense on Friday.

    The top two from each of the two groups qualify for the semi-finals, and Loh finished third behind Ginting and fellow Indonesian Jonatan Christie, who beat Taiwanese world No. 4 Chou Tien-chen 21-13, 12-21, 21-17 earlier in the day.

    Loh’s consolation was a cheque for US$16,500 (S$22,300), while Chou took home US$9,000.

    After the match, Loh looked quizzically at his racket after missing his last retrieve, before whipping the fans into a frenzy again by throwing it into the Nimibutr Arena stands.

    In a way, the 25-year-old was signing off his most intense season yet. He played 65 and won 46 matches in 21 individual and team events, en route to a career-high ranking.

    This was more than double the 30 matches (23 wins) he played in 2021 across 10 tournaments.

    Despite the unprecedented exertions – the effects of which were evident in his losses to Christie and Ginting – Loh displayed fighting spirit and glimpses of brilliance but looked off the pace at times.

    He said: “Other than the results and not making it to the semi-finals, I think I played well here and did pretty okay in terms of my processes.

    “To be honest, I do feel tired after a long season and I’m looking forward to taking a complete break... before we start again at the Jan 10-15 Malaysia Open.

    “Next year is going to be more intense and I may have to play in more tournaments because of the Olympic qualification (from May 1, 2023 to April 28, 2024).

    “Hopefully I can do well so I don’t have to play that many events, but we won’t know how things will turn out.

    “I have to get used to this tempo, and there’s still a lot for me to do to belong at this level. I need to be stronger in my fundamentals and be more consistent.”

    National singles coach Kelvin Ho agreed with his player’s assessment and shared that more will be done to facilitate better periodisation for Loh.

    A core team comprising Ho, assistant singles coach Loh Wei Sheng and sparring partners Vega Vio Nirwanda and Vicky Angga Saputra, will also work on helping the player improve his variety of skills, strategy and on-court solutions.

    Ho added: “At one point, Kean Yew had to compete for four months straight this year...

    “(He had) the Thomas Cup, SEA Games and Commonwealth Games on top of the BWF World Tour events, while top players from other countries could recover and train.

    “While it was an up-and-down season for him, I’m very proud he hung in there. You can see how he ended the season strongly after having six weeks to rest and train, and we will stagger his competition schedule next season to help him get better.

    “His fighting spirit is not in question. Not many people know he was under the weather before the World Tour Finals, but he still fought hard and came so close to reaching the semi-finals.”
     
    #171 Loh, Dec 9, 2022
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2022
  12. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: ‘I am still me,’ says Loh Kean Yew, as he recounts his ‘rough’ start as a pro
    [​IMG]
    Singapore's Loh Kean Yew bows out of the Badminton World Federation World Tour Finals at losing the group stage on Dec 9, 2022. PHOTO: COURTESY OF BADMINTONPHOTO
    [​IMG]
    David Lee
    Sports Correspondent
    UPDATED
    DEC 10, 2022, 7:21 PM SGT

    BANGKOK – At 18, Loh Kean Yew was so focused on chasing his dream of becoming a professional badminton player that he stunned his family when he told them he wanted to drop out of Republic Polytechnic. This meant he had no back-up plan or alternative career if he failed.

    He learnt, very quickly, the consequences of his decision.

    As the nation’s top men’s singles players then were two-time Olympian Derek Wong and Ryan Ng, Loh had to contend in lower-tier competitions for prize money in the hundreds of dollars.

    To make ends meet, he would moonlight as a part-time coach to supplement his modest allowance from the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA).

    Now 25, he tells The Straits Times: “My parents were in Penang. I was living in Singapore with my brother (fellow national player Loh Kean Hean), and when I was in national service from the age of 18 to 20, I couldn’t play in many competitions and had to contribute to rent from my $500 allowance.

    “That was rough.”

    But the player, who moved to the Republic at 13 and obtained Singapore citizenship in 2015, explains that he was undeterred: “Ever since I came to Singapore, I was sure I wanted to become a full-time player.

    “After I won bronze at the 2015 SEA Games, I was even more certain. I just wanted to go all out regardless of what other people said. I didn’t want to regret later on and have a lot of what-ifs.

    “Money is important, but it has never been my main motivation.

    “I just want to keep getting better at badminton, and if I do that, I’m happy and everything else will follow.”

    These days, he encourages – without hesitation – those with talent and aspirations to pursue their sporting dreams and roll with the punches like he did.

    Now the world No. 3, he says: “It can still be a viable career option, but one has to not only have belief, he or she must also work hard with the right attitude to make things happen.”

    So far, it has worked out pretty well for Loh, whose stock skyrocketed after he became the first Singaporean to win badminton’s World Championship in 2021.

    After picking up a US$16,500 (S$22,375) cheque for finishing third in his group at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals on Friday, he ended the 2022 season with career-high winnings of US$71,582.50 before tax. In 2021, he earned US$60,550 in prize money.

    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Yew’s second biggest cheque of the year was when he received US,200 for finishing second at the India Open. He topped this at the BWF World Tour Finals when he got US,500 for finishing third in his group. PHOTO: BADMINTONPHOTO

    Badminton’s top dog Viktor Axelsen, on the other hand, could breach the US$400,000 mark if he retains his World Tour Finals title on Sunday.

    In comparison, football star Cristiano Ronaldo’s annual salary with his former club Manchester United was around £26 million (S$43 million), while tennis great Novak Djokovic wrapped up the 2022 season with almost US$10 million in prize money, all before tax.

    “My prize money is not little, but compared to other sports, it is also not a lot,” Loh mulls.

    “OK, we don’t compare badminton with team sports and Cristiano Ronaldo’s millions every month lah. But if you look at tennis and what their top players are earning, badminton has a lot of room for improvement because I think our sport is faster and more exciting.”

    Nevertheless, Loh is grateful to badminton for many things.

    Now a top-tier Sports Excellence Scholarship recipient, he gets considerable support from Sport Singapore, the Singapore National Olympic Council and SBA. As his profile soars, he is also now a brand ambassador for Seiko, HSBC, Li-Ning, Singapore Airlines, and Grab.

    “I worry less about the cost of food now when I travel,” says the affable player, who loves Japanese cuisine.

    More than a year ago, he would fret about what to eat during overseas tournaments. While the likes of Danish world No. 10 Anders Antonsen vlogs about eating at a Japanese restaurant, Loh would order a burger or look for cheaper options instead.

    He also bought a suit for himself for the first time – and felt the pinch of the $300 bill – for the 2022 Singapore Sports Awards in November, when he was crowned Sportsman of the Year and pocketed $10,000.

    [​IMG]
    Before he found his feet at the higher echelons of the badminton world, Loh Kean Yew was challenging for prize money in the hundreds of dollars at lower-tier competitions and “moonlighting” as a coach to make ends meet. PHOTO: LOH KEAN YEW/INSTAGRAM

    “I don’t really splurge on branded stuff. Spending $200 on two T-shirts is already considered a lot for me,” says Loh, who still rides pillion to training at times with Kean Hean or takes the train.

    “I also want to have my own apartment one day. But being single and 25, I am eligible for only private properties, which I cannot afford yet, so I have to continue saving.”

    Despite his success over the last 12 months, those close to him say he is keeping his feet on the ground.

    National coach Kelvin Ho, a big-brother figure who has coached Loh for 10 years and usually rooms with him during overseas competitions, laughs as he says: “Same boring guy. Eat, train, nap, play, do laundry, analyse games, sleep. Repeat.

    “Still happy-go-lucky and willing to learn, still respectful of people despite his new fame and status, and still hungry and willing to fight for his country even though things can get tiring.

    “But inside, I think he has become more mature in handling pressure.”

    Fellow national player Joel Koh, a teammate of seven years, adds: “He is still the same humble and down-to-earth guy who shows gratitude to the team and would be happy for others when they do well.

    “On court, I feel he has become hungrier and more focused to improve his game further and reach his goals. Seeing this makes me feel more motivated to train harder and improve so I can reach his level too.”

    [​IMG]
    Singapore’s top badminton player Loh Kean Yew went through rough times during national service as he had to stretch his 0 allowance to cover his share of the rent and living expenses. PHOTO: LOH KEAN YEW/INSTAGRAM

    Another thing that has not changed is Loh’s love for the game, and the sacrifices he will make to hone his craft. He has turned down endorsement deals because they do not fit his training and competition schedules.

    He says: “It is true that success comes with a price, and I have to juggle training, more competition and more external commitments now. It’s tiring, but I accept this as part of my journey to the top and my Olympic medal hunt.

    “I feel like in this past year, I have grown, I have a wider perspective of life and learnt many things. But I am still me.”
     
  13. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    LKY at 2023 MAS Open

    20230113-0S2A3336.jpg
     
    jyeung likes this.
  14. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Don't forget that LKY's coach is also under pressure of expectations.

    Who is the assistant coach?

    20230113-0S2A3370.jpg 20230113-0S2A3373.jpg 20230113-0S2A3374.jpg
     
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  15. Frosty

    Frosty Regular Member

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  16. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Yes she is. She is mainly to help the XD and doubles in general. But with the defeat of our XD earlier, I suppose she can support the Singles coach and stay longer in KL. BTW, I think she has more playing experience than our Singles coach.
     
  17. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: ‘I am still me,’ says Loh Kean Yew, as he recounts his ‘rough’ start as a pro
    [​IMG]
    Singapore's Loh Kean Yew bows out of the Badminton World Federation World Tour Finals after losing his final group-stage match on Dec 9, 2022. PHOTO: COURTESY OF BADMINTONPHOTO
    [​IMG]
    David Lee
    Sports Correspondent
    UPDATED

    DEC 13, 2022, 10:55 PM SGT

    BANGKOK – At 18, Loh Kean Yew was so focused on chasing his dream of becoming a professional badminton player that he stunned his family when he told them he wanted to drop out of Republic Polytechnic. This meant he had no back-up plan or alternative career if he failed.

    He learnt, very quickly, the consequences of his decision.

    As the nation’s top men’s singles players then were two-time Olympian Derek Wong and Ryan Ng, Loh had to contend in lower-tier competitions for prize money in the hundreds of dollars.

    To make ends meet, he would moonlight as a part-time coach to supplement his modest allowance from the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA).

    Now 25, he tells The Sunday Times: “My parents were in Penang. I was living in Singapore with my brother (fellow national player Loh Kean Hean), and when I was in national service from the age of 18 to 20, I couldn’t play in many competitions and had to contribute the rent from my $500 allowance.

    “That was rough.”

    But the player, who moved to the Republic at 13 and obtained Singapore citizenship in 2015, explains that he was undeterred: “Ever since I came to Singapore, I was sure I wanted to become a full-time player.

    “After I won bronze at the 2015 SEA Games, I was even more certain. I just wanted to go all out regardless of what other people said. I didn’t want to regret later on and have a lot of what-ifs.

    “Money is important, but it has never been my main motivation.

    “I just want to keep getting better at badminton, and if I do that, I’m happy and everything else will follow.”

    These days, he encourages – without hesitation – those with talent and aspirations to pursue their sporting dreams and roll with the punches like he did.

    Now the world No. 3, he says: “It can still be a viable career option, but one has to not only have belief, he or she must also work hard with the right attitude to make things happen.”

    So far, it has worked out pretty well for Loh, whose stock skyrocketed after he became the first Singaporean to win the world title in 2021.

    After picking up a US$16,500 (S$22,300) cheque for finishing third in his group at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals on Friday, he ended the 2022 season with career-high winnings of US$71,582.50 before tax. In 2021, he earned US$60,550 in prize money.

    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Yew ended the 2022 season with career-high winnings. PHOTO: BADMINTONPHOTO

    Badminton’s top dog Viktor Axelsen, on the other hand, could breach the US$400,000 mark if he retains his World Tour Finals title on Sunday.

    In comparison, football star Cristiano Ronaldo’s annual salary with his former club Manchester United was around £26 million (S$43 million), while tennis great Novak Djokovic wrapped up the 2022 season with almost US$10 million in prize money, all before tax.

    “My prize money is not little, but compared to other sports, it is also not a lot,” Loh says.

    “OK, we don’t compare badminton with team sports and Cristiano Ronaldo’s millions every month lah. But if you look at tennis and what their top players are earning, badminton has a lot of room for improvement because I think our sport is faster and more exciting.”

    Nevertheless, Loh is grateful to badminton for many things.

    Now a top-tier Sports Excellence Scholarship recipient, he gets considerable support from Sport Singapore, the Singapore National Olympic Council and SBA. As his profile soars, he is also now a brand ambassador for Seiko, HSBC, Li-Ning, Singapore Airlines, and Grab.

    “I worry less about the cost of food now when I travel,” says the affable player, who loves Japanese cuisine.

    More than a year ago, he would fret about what to eat during overseas tournaments. While the likes of Danish world No. 10 Anders Antonsen vlogs about eating at a Japanese restaurant, Loh would order a burger or look for cheaper options instead.

    He also bought a suit for himself for the first time – and felt the pinch of the $300 bill – for the 2022 Singapore Sports Awards in November, when he was crowned Sportsman of the Year and pocketed $10,000.

    [​IMG]
    Before he found his feet at the higher echelons of the badminton world, Loh Kean Yew was challenging for prize money in the hundreds of dollars at lower-tier competitions and “moonlighting” as a coach to make ends meet. PHOTO: LOH KEAN YEW/INSTAGRAM

    “I don’t really splurge on branded stuff. Spending $200 on two T-shirts is already considered a lot for me,” says Loh, who still rides pillion to training at times on Kean Hean’s motorcycle or takes the train.

    “I also want to have my own apartment one day. But being single and 25, I am eligible for only private properties, which I cannot afford yet, so I have to continue saving.”

    Despite his success over the last 12 months, those close to him say he is keeping his feet on the ground.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Interactive: How Loh Kean Yew unleashes his winning smash
    We’re so proud of him, say S’pore fans following Loh Kean Yew at World Tour Finals in Bangkok

    National coach Kelvin Ho, a big-brother figure who has coached Loh for 10 years and usually rooms with him during overseas competitions, laughs as he says: “Same boring guy. Eat, train, nap, play, do laundry, analyse games, sleep. Repeat.

    “Still happy-go-lucky and willing to learn, still respectful of people despite his new fame and status, and still hungry and willing to fight for his country even though things can get tiring.

    “But inside, I think he has become more mature in handling pressure.”

    Fellow national player Joel Koh, a teammate of seven years, adds: “He is still the same humble and down-to-earth guy who shows gratitude to the team and would be happy for others when they do well.

    “On court, I feel he has become hungrier and more focused to improve his game further and reach his goals. Seeing this makes me feel more motivated to train harder and improve so I can reach his level.”

    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Yew went through rough times during national service as he had to stretch his allowance to cover his share of the rent and living expenses. PHOTO: LOH KEAN YEW/INSTAGRAM
    Another thing that has not changed is Loh’s love for the game, and the sacrifices he will make to hone his craft. He has turned down endorsement deals because they do not fit his training and competition schedules.

    He says: “It is true that success comes with a price, and I have to juggle training, more competition and more external commitments now. It’s tiring, but I accept this as part of my journey to the top and my Olympic medal hunt.

    “I feel like in this past year, I have grown, I have a wider perspective of life and learnt many things. But I am still me.”

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    For Loh Kean Yew, the No. 1 dream is Olympic gold
    ‘I can’t imagine what they went through’: Sportsman of the Year Loh Kean Yew thanks his parents
     
  18. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew bows out of India Open after q-final defeat by Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn
    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Yew during the match against Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn at the India Open quarter-finals on Jan 20. PHOTO: BADMINTONPHOTO
    [​IMG]
    Kimberly Kwek
    UPDATED

    JAN 20, 2023, 11:01 PM SGT

    National badminton star Loh Kean Yew may have suffered a quarter-final exit at the hands of familiar foe Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who won their India Open quarter-final 21-12, 21-17 on Friday.

    But Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) technical director Martin Andrew believes the 25-year-old Singaporean has still made progress in some areas.

    This is world No. 7 Loh’s fifth straight loss to the Thai SEA Games champion. Just last week, Kunlavut, 21, had beaten the Singaporean at the same stage of the Malaysia Open.

    Andrew described Loh’s performance as “fluctuating”, adding that there were periods where he was dominant and times where he could not gain the initiative.

    “In the latter cases, he is then under a lot of pressure to play very tight with a low margin for error which is hard against a player like Vitidsarn,” said Andrew.

    “That said, there were still some very good areas where we’re seeing some progress in areas Kean Yew is working in.”

    It was a close start to their match at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall in New Delhi but, with the score tied at 6-6, Loh made it 7-6 with a cross-court smash and went into the interval 11-7 up.

    A strong defensive showing then helped world No. 8 Kunlavut claim the next 12 points before taking the first game 21-12.

    The second game saw the pair exchange leads several times but, with the score at 17-17, Kunlavut pulled ahead to win the match in 39 minutes.

    In Saturday’s semi-finals, Kunlavut will face Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting, who beat China’s Li Shifeng 21-11, 17-21, 21-18.

    After the match, Loh said: “Nothing much to say, ups and downs are normal in sports. I just need to rest the mind a little, reflect and try again.”

    Next up for Loh is the Indonesia Masters in Jakarta from Tuesday to Sunday.

    Andrew noted that Loh has “a few small gains to make which can make a noticeable difference”.

    He said: “He’s good in the front court but can control more there. There are times in rallies and matches where he needs to be more patient then at times he needs to go in full attack.

    “The advantage to be gained here is identifying the right strategy at the right moments. This is something intuitive, which Kean Yew is conscientiously working on.”

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Loh Kean Yew qualifies for India Open quarters after beating Denmark’s Hans-Kristian Vittinghus
    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew upsets Japanese starlet Kodai Naraoka at India Open
     
  19. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew crashes out of Indonesia Masters in second round
    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Yew is out of the Indonesia Masters after losing to local favourite Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo in the second round. PHOTO: AFP
    Ervin Ang
    UPDATED

    JAN 26, 2023, 11:35 PM SGT

    SINGAPORE - Loh Kean Yew’s quest for his first title in the 2023 season continues after the world No. 8 was bundled out of his third consecutive badminton tournament on Thursday.

    The Singaporean, 25, was upset 21-18, 21-15 by 23rd-ranked Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo in the second round of the men’s singles at the Indonesia Masters.

    After losing the first game, Loh was trailing 20-9 in the second but managed to save six match points before succumbing to the Jayapura-born home favourite.

    Both players last met in the 2022 edition in Jakarta, where Loh won in straight sets at the same stage to take his head-to-head record with Wardoyo to 2-0 then.

    Wardoyo, 24, will next face Canadian world No. 30 Brian Yang – who upset sixth seed Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei in the first round – in the quarter-finals.

    Speaking after the defeat, 2021 world champion Loh said: “I think he (Wardoyo) played well and today he was the better player. I couldn’t find an answer to it, so I just tried to enjoy the game.

    “For now, I’ll go back and rest and start training again for the Asia Mixed Team Championships (Feb 14 to 19) in Dubai next.”

    Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew told The Straits Times: “We are working on a number of areas with his game and trying to gather that consistency when putting it into practice.

    “These changes take time.”

    It has been a bumpy start to the season for Loh, who failed to make it past the quarter-finals of the Malaysia Open and India Open in January, both times falling to Thai nemesis Kunlavut Vitidsarn.

    But Andrew believes that Loh’s recent results are not reflective of the improvements that he has made. He added: “Some of his recent performances have been stronger than when he won the World Championships in 2021 but that’s difficult to quantify in reality. He’s showing good improvements in areas of his game.”

    Third seed Loh was not the only top player sent packing on Thursday, with Indonesia’s world No. 2 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting losing to China’s 27th-ranked Shi Yuqi 21-19, 21-16. Malaysian Lee Zii Jia, fourth in the world, fell 21-16, 20-22, 13-21 to Hong Kong’s Angus Ng.

    In the women’s singles, Singaporean world No. 35 Yeo Jia Min was beaten 22-20, 14-21, 22-20 by Denmark’s Line Christophersen in the first round on Thursday morning.
     
  20. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew falls at first hurdle of All England Open
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    Loh Kean yew also fell at the first hurdle at the 2022 All England Open but climbed to a career-high world No. 3 in the same year. PHOTO: AFP
    [​IMG]
    David Lee
    Sports Correspondent
    UPDATED
    10 HOURS AGO

    SINGAPORE – Loh Kean Yew’s slow start to the year continues with a sixth defeat in 12 matches as he lost 21-16, 16-21, 21-7 to China’s world No. 13 Zhao Junpeng in the opening round of the All England Open men’s singles event on Tuesday.

    This second loss in five encounters against Zhao comes barely a week after the world No. 8 was beaten by Japan’s 15th-ranked Kenta Nishimoto in three games in the second round of the German Open.

    Loh, 25, told The Straits Times: “Many things went wrong today. I know I’m not at my best condition, but ups and downs are normal for an athlete.

    “I’m more concerned about my performances than the slow start. There are many things I need to work on for sure. I will need time to bounce back again, but I cannot say for sure how long it will take.”

    To put things in perspective, he also fell at the first hurdle of the 2022 All England Open but climbed to a career-high world No. 3 in the same year. But it is also true that Loh has been struggling to find his groove since winning the world championship in 2021. He is still searching for a first title since that historic achievement.

    Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew acknowledged the pickle Loh is in, but is not unduly worried despite the Olympic qualification window opening in May.

    The “Paris Ranking Lists” – which is separate from the world rankings – will be used to award quota places in the five events at the Olympics, and each list will be based on results achieved from May 1, 2023 to April 28, 2024.

    Andrew said: “Kean Yew made too many errors, many of them seemingly while not under too much pressure. At the moment, he’s finding it difficult to change game plans tactically while integrating things we worked on in practice.

    “We are working on a number of developments to his game which are taking time to implement in matches, but it’s the right time to be doing this before we move into the Olympic qualification period.”

    Besides Loh, other Singaporeans who are competing at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham include Yeo Jia Min, who is up against China’s Han Yue in the women’s singles while Terry Hee and Jessica Tan face Thailand’s Supak Jomkoh and Supissara Paewsampran in the mixed doubles.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Interactive: How Loh Kean Yew unleashes his winning smash
    Badminton: World’s best players to play in Singapore Open in race to Paris 2024

    (For the record, Yeo Jia Min lost meekly to China's Han Yue, 21-10, 21-7)
     
    #180 Loh, Mar 14, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2023

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