Singapore Badminton Scene

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

  1. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Singapore’s humble hero Kean Yew insists he’s starting from zero again
    [​IMG]
    PETALING JAYA: Winning the world title has not changed Loh Kean Yew of Singapore.

    In fact, the 24-year-old Kean Yew says he is the still the same easy going shuttler after going through a training session with his teammates in preparation for the Asia Team Championships starting today at the Setia City Convention Centre in Shah Alam.

    “I’m still the same,” said Kean Yew, who shocked the world when he upstaged reigning Olympics champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the opening round before going all the way to beat K. Srikanth of India for the title in the final in Spain last December.

    “Of course, there are higher expectations from people around me. I’m starting from zero. There’s no point in adding unnecessary pressure on myself.”

    Kean Yew will take on Lee Zii Jia in the first singles when Singapore and Malaysia clash in the opening tie of Group B at 4pm tomorrow.
    It will be their first meeting since Kean Yew won the world title and Zii Jia turned professional last month.

    The duo have played six times on the international stage with Zii Jia winning four times but Kean Yew holding the edge in the last two meetings.

    The Malaysian won at the 2016 Smiling Fish in Thailand, 2019 China Open, and twice at the 2019 Philippines SEA Games (team and individual) but the Singaporean showed his class in the last two meetings last year, in the first round of the French Open and in the final of the Hylo Open, where Zii Jia retired in the deciding game.

    “Everyone is anticipating this match and I’m looking forward to playing him again,” said Kean Yew.

    “This is a team event and I hope to play my part. It has been long since I last played with my teammates in a team event.

    “We hope to perform well as anything can happen,” he said.

    Kean Yew has arrived in Dubai after spending some time since last month training together with Axelsen.

    “It’s just a normal training session, nothing special about it. What’s important is to focus on my own game,” added the Penang-born Kean Yew.
     
  2. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Singapore lose 5-0 to hosts Malaysia in Asia Team C'ships opener
    [​IMG]
    Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew loses 21-6, 21-14 to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in the Badminton Asia Team Championships Group B opener, on Feb 16, 2022. PHOTO: BADMINTON ASIA

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED

    FEB 16, 2022, 8:01 PM SGT

    The Singapore men’s team crashed to a 5-0 defeat by hosts Malaysia in their Badminton Asia Team Championships Group B opener on Wednesday (Feb 16), but Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew is confident of better performances from here on.

    Cheered on by a partisan crowd at the Setia City Convention Centre in Selangor, Malaysia’s world No. 7 and All England winner Lee Zii Jia drew first blood with a resounding 21-6, 21-14 win over world No. 12 and world champion Loh Kean Yew in 30 minutes.

    Despite playing his first match of the year after a fallout with the Badminton Association of Malaysia that saw him leave the national set-up, Lee showed he had recovered from the saga as well as niggling injuries by hitting the crisper and more decisive shots.

    Loh, on the other hand, looked out of sorts as he struggled to find his range, as his clears often sailed long and his smashes were fired into the net.

    The 24-year-old conceded he “did not play well”, and added: “It was very windy but Zii Jia played well and was in control of the conditions, so that’s something I need to learn from and improve.

    “I hope to be able to control my shots better and do better in the upcoming matches.”

    The first doubles was a straightforward affair too as world No. 7 and Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik beat unranked duo Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Wesley Koh, who were combining for the first time, 21-14, 21-12 in 25 minutes.

    In the second singles, Singapore’s world No. 104 Jason Teh made 47th-ranked Ng Tze Yong work hard for his 17-21, 24-22, 21-19 win in 78 minutes. Up 19-15 in the second game, Teh was two points away from a memorable victory, but allowed his opponent a way back to force a decider.

    The remaining matches conformed to the world rankings. Firstly, Malaysia’s world No. 17 pair of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin eased past 1,234th-ranked Terry Hee and Andy Kwek, who had played together just once before, 21-10, 21-13 in 26 minutes.

    The Singaporean doubles combinations had required some adjustments as Hee’s regular partner Loh Kean Hean – the duo are ranked 85th – tested positive for Covid-19 and did not travel with the team.

    Then in the third singles, Singapore’s world No. 274 Joel Koh gave 126th-ranked Leong Jun Hao a good test before the Malaysian won 21-17, 22-20 in 39 minutes.

    Andrew was disappointed with the big defeat but kept faith in his team’s abilities.
    He said: “Jason and Joel played well and had chances to win but couldn’t take them, so there are learning opportunities there... other players will find their form.

    “Our doubles players are relatively used to playing together in training, so there isn’t anything completely new to them. We can select different pairings for each match and will discuss this.

    “Overall, we can improve on our court presence and belief. Our players need to be positive and take the initiative in their matches.”

    Meanwhile, in the other Group B match, a second-string Japan side beat Kazakhstan 5-0 without dropping a game.

    Singapore will face Japan on Thursday (Feb 17), with the winners in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals and earn a spot at the Thomas Cup.

    Andrew said: “It will be important for Kean Yew to get off to a winning start, and the doubles matches will be close contests. The Japanese players are technically sound, move fast and are very agile, so our players will have to be on top of their game throughout.”
     
  3. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: S'pore's Loh Kean Hean out of Asia Team C'ships due to Covid-19
    [​IMG]
    Loh Kean Hean had taken a pre-departure polymerase chain reaction test on Feb 12, ahead of the national team's arrival in Selangor on Feb 14. PHOTO: SINGAPOREBADMINTON.ORG.SG
    [​IMG]

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED
    FEB 15, 2022, 3:15 PM SGT

    SINGAPORE - The Republic's hopes of a historic medal at the Feb 15-20 Badminton Asia Team Championships have taken a hit after Loh Kean Hean - one half of Singapore's top men's doubles pair - tested positive for Covid-19.

    The Straits Times understands that he had taken a pre-departure polymerase chain reaction test on Saturday (Feb 12), ahead of the national team's arrival in Selangor on Monday.

    A positive result was returned on Sunday and he did not fly with the team. Instead, he is now recovering at home.

    The Singapore women's team were also hit by Covid-19, with three players having just recovered, including the nation's No. 1 woman player, Yeo Jia Min. Coupled with niggling injuries to Yeo and Jaslyn Hooi, the team were also forced to withdraw from the championships.

    The spectre of the pandemic has loomed large over the biennial event, with powerhouses such as China, Chinese Taipei and Thailand withdrawing from the competition.

    Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew acknowledged that Loh's absence will be missed, but was optimistic that there is enough depth in the team to cope with their bid to qualify for the Thomas Cup.

    While a decision will be made ahead of their opener against hosts Malaysia on Wednesday, the SBA could reunite Loh's regular partner Terry Hee with veteran doubles player Danny Bawa Chrisnanta. As a unit, they had won the lower-tier Nepal International in 2017 and were ranked as high as 60th in 2018.


    However, this means adjustments will have to be made down the line as Chrisnanta has been partnering Andy Kwek to good effect of late, with the 247th-ranked pair winning the lower-tier Swedish Open in January.

    Singapore's third doubles duo in Malaysia are 19-year-olds Wesley Koh and Junsuke Kubo, who are ranked 794th.

    Andrew said: "It certainly affects the doubles line-ups. Terry is still with the team and may be fielded with one of the other boys filling either the top or second pairing. We have the flexibility within our players to do this.

    "It certainly makes the job harder to get a strong result but all three of our pairings are good, with very little between them, and they will do their best. The opposition in the men's event is strong, so we will take each match as it comes and see what we can do."

    Loh and Hee are ranked 85th in the world. They had reached the quarter-finals of the India Open, a Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 500 event, in January, and won the lower-tier Dutch and Czech Opens last October. They were ranked as high as 33rd in 2017.

    Singapore, who also have world champion Loh Kean Yew (world No. 12), Jason Teh (104), Joel Koh (274) and Lim Ming Hong (unranked) as their singles options, will take on Japan on Thursday before concluding their Group B campaign against Kazakhstan on Friday.

    The top two teams from each group will progress to Saturday's semi-finals and qualify for the Thomas Cup, badminton's premier team competition.

    While Malaysia have registered a strong team comprising world No. 7 men's singles player Lee Zii Jia and seventh-ranked men's doubles duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, Japan and Kazakhstan do not have any players in the top 100 within their men's squads.
     
  4. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Singapore lose 5-0 to hosts Malaysia in Asia Team C'ships opener
    [​IMG]
    Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew loses 21-6, 21-14 to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in the Badminton Asia Team Championships Group B opener, on Feb 16, 2022. PHOTO: BADMINTON ASIA
    [​IMG]

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED
    FEB 16, 2022, 8:01 PM SGT

    The Singapore men’s team crashed to a 5-0 defeat by hosts Malaysia in their Badminton Asia Team Championships Group B opener on Wednesday (Feb 16), but Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew is confident of better performances from here on.

    Cheered on by a partisan crowd at the Setia City Convention Centre in Selangor, Malaysia’s world No. 7 and All England winner Lee Zii Jia drew first blood with a resounding 21-6, 21-14 win over world No. 12 and world champion Loh Kean Yew in 30 minutes.

    Despite playing his first match of the year after a fallout with the Badminton Association of Malaysia that saw him leave the national set-up, Lee showed he had recovered from the saga as well as niggling injuries by hitting the crisper and more decisive shots.

    Loh, on the other hand, looked out of sorts as he struggled to find his range, as his clears often sailed long and his smashes were fired into the net.

    The 24-year-old conceded he “did not play well”, and added: “It was very windy but Zii Jia played well and was in control of the conditions, so that’s something I need to learn from and improve.

    “I hope to be able to control my shots better and do better in the upcoming matches.”

    The first doubles was a straightforward affair too as world No. 7 and Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik beat unranked duo Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Wesley Koh, who were combining for the first time, 21-14, 21-12 in 25 minutes.

    In the second singles, Singapore’s world No. 104 Jason Teh made 47th-ranked Ng Tze Yong work hard for his 17-21, 24-22, 21-19 win in 78 minutes. Up 19-15 in the second game, Teh was two points away from a memorable victory, but allowed his opponent a way back to force a decider.

    The remaining matches conformed to the world rankings. Firstly, Malaysia’s world No. 17 pair of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin eased past 1,234th-ranked Terry Hee and Andy Kwek, who had played together just once before, 21-10, 21-13 in 26 minutes.

    The Singaporean doubles combinations had required some adjustments as Hee’s regular partner Loh Kean Hean – the duo are ranked 85th – tested positive for Covid-19 and did not travel with the team.

    Then in the third singles, Singapore’s world No. 274 Joel Koh gave 126th-ranked Leong Jun Hao a good test before the Malaysian won 21-17, 22-20 in 39 minutes.

    Andrew was disappointed with the big defeat but kept faith in his team’s abilities.
    He said: “Jason and Joel played well and had chances to win but couldn’t take them, so there are learning opportunities there... other players will find their form.

    “Our doubles players are relatively used to playing together in training, so there isn’t anything completely new to them. We can select different pairings for each match and will discuss this.

    “Overall, we can improve on our court presence and belief. Our players need to be positive and take the initiative in their matches.”

    Meanwhile, in the other Group B match, a second-string Japan side beat Kazakhstan 5-0 without dropping a game.

    Singapore will face Japan on Thursday (Feb 17), with the winners in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals and earn a spot at the Thomas Cup.

    Andrew said: “It will be important for Kean Yew to get off to a winning start, and the doubles matches will be close contests. The Japanese players are technically sound, move fast and are very agile, so our players will have to be on top of their game throughout.”
     
  5. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: S'porean Loh Kean Yew beaten by M'sian childhood rival Lee Zii Jia in 30 minutes
    Singapore went on to be defeated 5-0 by Malaysia.

    Fiona Tan | [​IMG] February 17, 2022, 01:47 PM

    [​IMG]

    Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

    Singaporean Badminton World Champion Loh Kean Yew was defeated by Malaysian Lee Zii Jia at the Badminton Asia Team Championships on Feb. 16.

    Loh Kean Yew defeated

    Loh is currently ranked world number 12, while Lee is world number 7.

    Both shuttlers have known each other since they were children and have cultivated a long-running rivalry.

    They have met a total of five times on the court.

    This includes the recent Badminton Asia Team Championships opening Group B men's singles match on Feb. 16, where the rivals went head to head at Setia City Convention Center in Shah Alam, Selangor.

    Lee beat Loh 21-6 and 21-14 in just 30 minutes, according to Badminton Association of Malaysia.


    The Straits Times (ST) reported that Loh looked "out of sorts" whilst on the court, with the Singaporean badminton extraordinaire subsequently conceding that he "did not play well".

    According to The Sun Daily, Loh said during a post-match interview that his performance was affected by the five-day quarantine and was not at his best.

    He also commended Lee's performance and said he aspires "to learn from [Lee] and improve": "I think Zii Jia played very well... I think every tournament will be different, he performed very well today."

    You can watch snippets of the match below.

    Singapore lost 5-0

    Together with Loh's loss, the Singaporean players were beaten in five out of five opening matches by their Malaysian counterparts.

    Singles

    In the men's second singles, Singapore's Jason Teh Jia Heng put up a tough fight against Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong, ranked world number 104 and 47 respectively, in a gruelling 78-minute duel.

    Teh was just two points shy of a victory, before he allowed Ng a way back to force a decider, and lost 17-21, 24-22, 21-19 ultimately, according to ST.

    Singapore's losing streak continued in the third men's singles, when Singapore's world number 274 Joel Koh Jia Wei lost to Malaysia's world number 126 Leong Jun Hao 21-17, 22-20 in 39 minutes.

    Doubles

    The opening Group B men's doubles match during the Badminton Asian Team Championships saw the defeat of the unranked Singaporean duo Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Wesley Koh Eng Keat by Malaysia's Aaron Chia Teng Fong and Soh Wooi Yik.

    The Malaysian shuttlers beat the Singaporean shuttlers 21-14, 21-12 in just under 25 minutes.

    In the second doubles match, Singaporean Terry Hee Yong Kai and Andy Kwek Jun Liang lost 21-10, 21-13 to Malaysia's Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin in 26 minutes.

    The Singaporean duo is ranked 1,234th in the world, while their Malaysian counterparts are ranked world number 17.

    This marked the second time that Singaporeans Hee and Kwek played together, as Hee's regular partner Loh Kean Hean did not travel with the team after he tested positive for Covid-19.

    Singapore will face off Japan at 4pm on Feb. 17.

    Related stories
     
  6. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Singapore lose 5-0 to hosts Malaysia in Asia Team C'ships opener
    [​IMG]
    Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew loses 21-6, 21-14 to Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in the Badminton Asia Team Championships Group B opener, on Feb 16, 2022. PHOTO: BADMINTON ASIA
    [​IMG]

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED
    FEB 16, 2022, 8:01 PM SGT

    The Singapore men’s team crashed to a 5-0 defeat by hosts Malaysia in their Badminton Asia Team Championships Group B opener on Wednesday (Feb 16), but Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew is confident of better performances from here on.

    Cheered on by a partisan crowd at the Setia City Convention Centre in Selangor, Malaysia’s world No. 7 and All England winner Lee Zii Jia drew first blood with a resounding 21-6, 21-14 win over world No. 12 and world champion Loh Kean Yew in 30 minutes.

    Despite playing his first match of the year after a fallout with the Badminton Association of Malaysia that saw him leave the national set-up, Lee showed he had recovered from the saga as well as niggling injuries by hitting the crisper and more decisive shots.

    Loh, on the other hand, looked out of sorts as he struggled to find his range, as his clears often sailed long and his smashes were fired into the net.

    The 24-year-old conceded he “did not play well”, and added: “It was very windy but Zii Jia played well and was in control of the conditions, so that’s something I need to learn from and improve.

    “I hope to be able to control my shots better and do better in the upcoming matches.”

    The first doubles was a straightforward affair too as world No. 7 and Tokyo 2020 bronze medallists Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik beat unranked duo Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Wesley Koh, who were combining for the first time, 21-14, 21-12 in 25 minutes.

    In the second singles, Singapore’s world No. 104 Jason Teh made 47th-ranked Ng Tze Yong work hard for his 17-21, 24-22, 21-19 win in 78 minutes. Up 19-15 in the second game, Teh was two points away from a memorable victory, but allowed his opponent a way back to force a decider.

    The remaining matches conformed to the world rankings. Firstly, Malaysia’s world No. 17 pair of Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin eased past 1,234th-ranked Terry Hee and Andy Kwek, who had played together just once before, 21-10, 21-13 in 26 minutes.

    The Singaporean doubles combinations had required some adjustments as Hee’s regular partner Loh Kean Hean – the duo are ranked 85th – tested positive for Covid-19 and did not travel with the team.

    Then in the third singles, Singapore’s world No. 274 Joel Koh gave 126th-ranked Leong Jun Hao a good test before the Malaysian won 21-17, 22-20 in 39 minutes.

    Andrew was disappointed with the big defeat but kept faith in his team’s abilities.
    He said: “Jason and Joel played well and had chances to win but couldn’t take them, so there are learning opportunities there... other players will find their form.

    “Our doubles players are relatively used to playing together in training, so there isn’t anything completely new to them. We can select different pairings for each match and will discuss this.

    “Overall, we can improve on our court presence and belief. Our players need to be positive and take the initiative in their matches.”

    Meanwhile, in the other Group B match, a second-string Japan side beat Kazakhstan 5-0 without dropping a game.

    Singapore will face Japan on Thursday (Feb 17), with the winners in a strong position to qualify for the semi-finals and earn a spot at the Thomas Cup.

    Andrew said: “It will be important for Kean Yew to get off to a winning start, and the doubles matches will be close contests. The Japanese players are technically sound, move fast and are very agile, so our players will have to be on top of their game throughout.”
     
  7. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Singapore beat Japan 3-2 to edge closer to Asia Team C'ships medal
    [​IMG]
    Jason Teh outlasted unranked Koo Takahashi 21-15, 13-21, 21-18 after an hour's battle. PHOTO: BADMINTON ASIA
    [​IMG]

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED
    FEB 17, 2022, 9:12 PM SGT

    SINGAPORE - The Republic are tantalisingly close to winning at least a historic bronze at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Malaysia, after their men's team beat Japan 3-2 in their second Group B match on Thursday (Feb 17).

    Singapore will conclude their group campaign on Friday against Kazahkstan, who are already eliminated after being swept 5-0 by Malaysia and Japan, and whose highest-ranked player is world No. 429 Artur Niyazov.

    A win will put Singapore in a strong position to secure a place in Saturday's semi-finals and at least a shared bronze, as well as a third appearance at the May 8-15 Thomas Cup in Thailand. After losing 5-0 to Malaysia on Wednesday, Singapore will also need the hosts - who are already through to the final four - to beat Japan in order to advance.

    In Thursday's first singles match at the Setia City Convention Centre in Selangor, Singapore's world champion and world No. 12 Loh Kean Yew got the team off on a winning start, beating 343rd-ranked Riku Hatano 21-16, 21-15 in 37 minutes.

    But the matches that followed were topsy-turvy affairs.

    Singapore's unranked Andy Kwek, 23, and Wesley Koh, 19, combined for the first time to play the first doubles match. Kwek's regular partner Danny Bawa Chrisnanta was instead paired with Terry Hee for the second doubles match after Hee's partner Loh Kean Hean tested positive for Covid-19 and did not travel with the team.

    Kwek and Koh put up a good fight against Japan's 857th-ranked Ayata Endo and Yuta Takei before losing 21-12, 19-21, 21-15 in 47 minutes.

    It was a more favourable roller-coaster second singles match for Singapore as their world No. 104 Jason Teh outlasted unranked 20-year-old Koo Takahashi 21-15, 13-21, 21-18 after an hour's battle.

    The nail-biting encounters continued in the second doubles match as Chrisnanta and Hee, ranked as high as 60th in 2018, were taken the distance by unranked Haruya Nishida and Shuntaro Mezuki.

    In the decider, the Singaporean duo let slip a 14-8 lead and were down 19-17 before they rallied to win the last four points and the match 21-18, 18-21, 21-19 in 46 minutes to take the team across the line for the overall victory.

    In the third singles, Singapore's world No. 274 Joel Koh lost 21-10, 21-17 to the unranked Koshiro Moriguchi in 33 minutes.
     
  8. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Singapore men's team secure historic medal at Asia Team C'ships
    2 of 2
    [​IMG]
    Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Andy Kwek beat Kazakhstan's Andrey Shalagin and Makhsut Tajibullayev 21-7, 21-5 in the first doubles. PHOTO: BADMINTON ASIA/FACEBOOK
    [​IMG]

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED
    FEB 18, 2022, 9:40 PM SGT


    SINGAPORE - Never in their careers would the Singapore men's badminton team have imagined themselves cheering on arch rivals Malaysia in any tournament, but that was exactly what they did on Friday (Feb 18) at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Selangor.

    And a day of drama ended in delight for the Singaporean shuttlers, who are assured of at least a historic bronze after qualifying for the semi-finals for the first time - courtesy of some help from the Malaysians.

    After defeating Kazakhstan 5-0 in their final Group B match on Friday, Singapore needed the hosts to beat Japan in order to finish second in their group and advance to the semi-finals.

    And what a nail-biting few hours it was, as they camped in their hotel rooms with their hearts in their mouths, cheering on their neighbours who were locked in an intense battle with Japan.

    Malaysia delivered - but only just - in a 3-2 win that sees them go through as group winners to face South Korea, while group runners-up Singapore take on defending champions Indonesia at the Setia City Convention Centre on Saturday.

    All semi-finalists will also earn a spot at the May 8-15 Thomas Cup in Thailand, with this being Singapore's third outing at the prestigious event.

    Already through to the last four after beating Singapore and Kazakhstan 5-0 earlier, Malaysia were surprisingly off-colour against a Japanese side bereft of top players like world No. 2 Kento Momota.

    Malaysia's world No. 7 Lee Zii Jia laboured to a 15-21, 21-6, 21-15 win over 343rd-ranked Riku Hatano in the men's singles but their world No. 7 men's doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik suffered a shock 23-21, 21-16 loss to 857th-ranked Ayato Endo and Yuta Takei.

    World No. 112 Aidil Sholeh then lost 19-21, 21-16, 21-15 to unranked Koo Takahashi, and Singapore were one game away from elimination before world No. 17 duo Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin levelled the overall scores with a come-from-behind 17-21, 21-17, 21-17 win over unranked Haruya Nishida and Shuntaro Mezaki.

    Singapore's fate then rested in the hands of Malaysia's world No. 126 and former World Junior Championships silver medallist Leong Jun Hao, who came good with a 21-18, 21-16 win over the unranked Koshiro Moriguchi.

    Singapore had an easier time in their encounter with Kazakhstan, as world champion Loh Kean Yew overcame 429th-ranked Artur Niyazov 21-12, 21-17 in 25 minutes in the first singles.

    World No. 104 Jason Teh then eased to a 21-12, 21-8 victory over 696th-ranked Khaitmurat Kulmatov in the second singles before Lim Ming Hong beat the similarly unranked Makhsut Tajibullayev 21-12, 21-14 in the next match.

    With the tie settled, world No. 794 Junsuke Kubo and Wesley Koh beat Jangir Ibraev and Ilya Lysenko 21-3, 21-5 before world No. 247 Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Andy Kwek similarly cruised past Andrey Shalagin and Tajibullayev 21-7, 21-5 to complete the sweep
     
  9. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Sport

    Singapore's men reach Badminton Asia Team Championships semi-finals, book Thomas Cup spot
    [​IMG]
    Singapore's Loh Kean Yew in action. (File photo: AP/Manu Fernandez)
    18 Feb 2022 10:28PM(Updated: 18 Feb 2022 10:28PM)
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    SINGAPORE: The Singapore men's badminton team have reached the last four of the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Malaysia, and booked a spot in the Thomas Cup in the process.

    In their final Group B outing in Shah Alam on Friday (Feb 18), they thrashed Kazakhstan 5-0 to put themselves in the driver's seat for a semi-final spot.

    Malaysia's 3-2 win over Japan, which came later, then confirmed Singapore's second-placed finish in the group, and passage into the knock-out round.

    World No 12 Loh Kean Yew gave Singapore a winning start, beating Artur Niyazov 21-12, 21-17, before world No 104 Jason Teh defeated Khaitmurat Kulmatov 21-12, 21-8 to make it 2-0.

    Lim Ming Hong then made it three in a row for Singapore, beating Makhsut Tajibullayev 21-12, 21-14 in 25 minutes.

    In the doubles, Wesley Koh and Junsuke Kubo made short work of their opponents Jangir Ibrayev and Ilya Lysenko with a 21-3, 21-5 win in 15 minutes.

    Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Andy Kwek then completed the rout with a 21-7, 21-5 victory over Andrey Shalagin and Makshut Tajibullayev.

    All semi-finalists earn a spot in May's Thomas Cup in Thailand.

    Singapore will play defending champions Indonesia at the Setia City Convention Centre on Saturday.

    Source: CNA/gr(ac)
     
  10. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Singapore's men out of Badminton Asia Team Championships after narrow semis loss to Indonesia
    [​IMG]
    Singapore's Jason Teh in action at the semi-finals of the Badminton Asia Team Championships on Feb 19, 2022. He beat Indonesia's Ikhsan Leonardo Imanuel Rumbay 18-21, 21-8, 21-9. (Photo: Badminton Asia/Facebook)

    19 Feb 2022 10:43PM(Updated: 19 Feb 2022 10:43PM)
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    SINGAPORE: The Singapore men's team will leave the Badminton Asia Team Championships with a bronze medal after losing 3-2 to Indonesia in the semi-finals on Saturday (Feb 19).

    The three-time defending champions were always going to prove a stern test but it was Singapore who took the lead in Shah Alam. World champion Loh Kean Yew beat Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo 21-17, 21-19 in the first singles match.

    But Indonesia drew level through the doubles pair of Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin. They took just under half an hour to overcome Singapore's Wesley Koh and Andy Kwek 21-16, 21-12.

    World No 104 Jason Teh was next and after losing his first game to the 90th-ranked Ikhsan Leonardo Imanuel Rumbay, things were not looking good for Singapore. But the tenacious Teh fought back and would go on to give Singapore an overall 2-1 lead with an 18-21, 21-8, 21-9 win in the second singles.

    Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Terry Hee took that momentum into their match and won their first game against Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana. But the Singapore pair were unable to hold on, losing their next two games and the match 15-21, 21-11, 21-14 in 44 minutes.

    Indonesia would take the deciding match and the overall tie after Christian Adinata beat Joel Koh 21-11, 21-14.

    Sunday's final will see Indonesia take on hosts Malaysia, who beat South Korea 3-0 in the other semi-final.
     
  11. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    S’pore’s Men Win Bronze In Badminton Asia Team Championships, Securing Spot In May’s Thomas Cup
    Team Singapore fell to Indonesia 2-3 in the semi-finals.

    By
    Sabrina Seng
    -
    20 Feb 2022, 1:05 pm


    Singapore’s Men Clinch Bronze In Badminton Asia Team Championships On 19 Feb
    Since Loh Kean Yew put Singapore on the global stage after being crowned the badminton world champion, the national badminton team has continued making strides forward.

    On Saturday (19 Feb), Singapore’s men’s national badminton team clinched the bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championships for the first time in national history.


    [​IMG]Source

    Even as the team narrowly fell to defending champions Indonesia in a tough battle, the medal was an immense consolation.

    Their performance in the tournament in Selangor guarantees them a spot at the Thomas Cup in Bangkok come May.

    Singapore falls to Indonesia in Badminton Asia Team Championships
    Earlier on, Singapore’s men’s national badminton team entered the semi-finals of the Badminton Asia Team Championships.

    However, on Saturday (19 Feb), the team’s remarkable run ended when they lost to Indonesia 3-2.

    Singapore initially took the lead when world champion Loh Kean Yew beat 55th-ranked Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo.

    [​IMG]Source

    The score for the first singles match was 21-17, 21-19.

    Next up, doubles pair Andy Kwek and Wesley Koh fought against Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin.

    But the pair eventually fell to the world No. 28 duo with a score of 16-21 and 12-21.

    All tied up, singles player Jason Teh put Singapore in the lead again, winning Indonesian player Ikhsan Leonardo Imanuel Rumbay 18-21, 21-8, 21-9.

    [​IMG]Source

    Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Terry Hee fought hard in the next doubles clash, winning their first game 21-15.

    Eventually, they succumbed to the Indonesian pair Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana, with the next 2 games scoring 11-21 and 15-21.

    In the last deciding match, world number 274 Joel Koh could not overcome ranked 203 Christian Adinata, losing 11-21, 14-21 within 35 minutes.

    Loh Kean Yew hopes to keep up performance despite pressure
    In a post-game interview, Loh Kean Yew shared that he struggled with consistency throughout the tournament as there were “good days and bad days”.

    But despite the pressure, he felt that he handled it “quite well” in the semi-finals match against Indonesia.

    Loh added that Indonesia is a strong team but was confident Team Singapore would go all out and give their very best against them.

    Singapore’s first bronze medal in the tournament
    Despite the loss to Indonesia, the Singapore men’s badminton team can be proud of their achievements, winning our nation’s first bronze medal in the tournament.

    This grants them a spot in the upcoming Thomas Cup in Bangkok, which will take place from 8-15 May.

    Today (20 Feb), the Badminton Asia Team Championships finals will be at 4pm.

    Indonesia will face host nation Malaysia in the encounter.
     
  12. YeoKC

    YeoKC New Member

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    Is Yeo Jia Min injured. She was absent at AE championship and Swiss as well it seems.
     
  13. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Axelsen storms to second All England title
    [​IMG]
    Denmark's Viktor Axelsen (left) lifts the All England Open Badminton Championships trophy. (Photo: AFP/Justin Tallis)

    21 Mar 2022 07:11AM(Updated: 21 Mar 2022 07:11AM)
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    BIRMINGHAM: World number one Viktor Axelsen strolled to his second All England badminton title with a dominant 21-10, 21-15 win over India's Lakshya Sen in Birmingham.

    The Dane was unhappy that he had seven hours fewer to recover for the final than his opponent.

    But it was Sen who seemed drained from his marathon semi-final win over Lee Zii Jia as Axelsen romped to the title without even dropping a game.

    "I'm super happy," said Axelsen. "When I started playing badminton, I never dreamt of winning two All England titles and I still have a lot of years in me hopefully."

    When Axelsen lifted his last All England title two years ago, the spectre of COVID-19 lockdowns were on the horizon, robbing him of the chance to savour the success in front of his family.

    This time, his partner Natalia and daughter Vega were in attendance to make victory taste all the sweeter.

    "At the Denmark Open, I really realised how much it meant to me seeing (Vega) in the stands after my win," Axelsen added. "Today was something extra special."

    World champion Akane Yamaguchi won the women's title in style with a dominant final victory over South Korea's An Se-young.

    The Japanese star was a class apart from the fourth seed as she romped to a 21-15, 21-15 triumph in just 44 minutes.

    "I have been here so many times, but I haven't been able to make the finals and I wasn't able to win the title," said Yamaguchi. "I am so happy that I won such a traditional tournament with such authority."

    Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana marked a changing of the guard in the men's doubles as the Indonesian pair got the better of compatriots Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan.

    Fikri and Maulana combine for nearly half the age of their opponents, and the younger legs showed in a 21-19, 21-13 victory.

    "We're very happy to have won the oldest tournament in the game's history," said Fikri.

    "We are very respectful of the daddies. They were not fully fit and they still really fought in the match."

    Japanese pair Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida also needed just two games to comprehensively beat China's Zhang Shuxian and Zheng Yu 21-13, 21-9 to win the women's doubles title.

    "This is a big title and we're very happy we won," said Shida. "But there are other tournaments we want to win and higher goals we want to aim for.

    "We won't be satisfied with this, we want to use this as momentum to bring us even higher."
     
  14. chowyunfat

    chowyunfat Regular Member

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    Any reason Loh KY withdraw from Swiss open?
    Did he test positive? Seeded 5 he has a good draw vs Mark Caljouw and then Lee Cheuk yiu.
     
  15. YeoKC

    YeoKC New Member

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  16. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Symptoms mild, will use time to unwind, says Loh Kean Yew after testing positive
    [​IMG]
    The 24-year-old tested positive while at last week's All England Open in Birmingham. PHOTO: BADMINTON ASIA
    [​IMG]

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED

    MAR 22, 2022, 1:29 PM SGT

    SINGAPORE - Badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew has pulled out of this week's Swiss Open after contracting Covid-19 on Friday (March 18).

    A Singapore Badminton Association spokesman told The Straits Times on Tuesday that the 24-year-old tested positive while at last week's All England Open in Birmingham.

    He added: "Therefore, he is not well enough to compete in Switzerland and cannot fly until he tests negative.

    "His symptoms have been mild and he is able to go on as normal in England, so essentially it is a waiting game before he can leave and return to Singapore."

    Loh will train here before heading to the April 5-10 Korea Open and April 12-17 Korea Masters. He is then slated for the May 8-15 Thomas Cup in Thailand, as the May 12-23 South-east Asian Games in Vietnam.

    He wrote on his Instagram page on Wednesday: "My symptoms have been mild and I'm monitoring my conditions closely.

    "Will use the downtime to unwind and I hope I am able to resume training soon to prepare for the upcoming tournament marathon in the next few months."

    Several players have pulled out of the Swiss Open, which ends on Sunday. Among them include Indian Lakshya Sen, who lost to Viktor Axelsen in the All England men's final.

    Sen's run to the final moved him up two spots to No. 9 in the world rankings and pushed Loh to No. 10.

    The Swiss Open would have been Loh's first outing as a seeded player in a Badminton World Federation World Tour tournament.

    After his historic world championship victory last December, he has had a mixed start to 2022. He reached the India Open final in January - losing to Sen - and helped Singapore clinch a bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championships a month later.

    But he has lost in the first round of his last two events, the German Open and All England Open, earlier this month.

    The withdrawals at the Swiss Open have benefited Singaporean men's doubles pair Loh Kean Hean and Terry Hee. The world No. 88 duo were moved into the main draw and will face Scotland's 36th-ranked Alexander Dunn and Adam Hall in the first round.

    In the mixed doubles, Hee will combine with Tan Wei Han as a 102nd-ranked duo to take on a qualifier in the first round.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Making of a world champ: Shuttler Loh Kean Yew left his home, family, school to chase his dreams
    Badminton: S'pore's Yeo Jia Min withdraws from India Open with fever
     
  17. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Singapore to face Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand in Thomas Cup
    [​IMG]
    Led by world champion Loh Kean Yew, Singapore is set to feature for the third time. PHOTO: BADMINTON ASIA
    [​IMG]

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED
    APR 1, 2022, 8:05 PM SGT

    SINGAPORE - The Republic have been drawn into Group A alongside defending champions and record 14-time winners Indonesia, South Korea and hosts Thailand for the May 8-15 Thomas Cup that will be held at the Impact Arena in Bangkok.

    The top two teams will advance to the quarter-finals of the 16-team tournament, which is also known as the world men's team championships.

    Led by world champion Loh Kean Yew, the Republic are set to feature for only the third time. They had qualified after finishing joint-third at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Malaysia in February.

    The world No. 10 said: "We are excited to be playing in such a prestigious tournament. It will be my first Thomas Cup and I'm looking forward to compete alongside my team-mates again in a team event.

    "There will be tough matches, but we have a good team that always give our best. This competition will also help us prepare for the SEA Games, which follow closely after, and we will go all out for both tournaments."

    The South-east Asian Games will be held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from May 12-23, and it is understood that the badminton competition will start from May 16 to accommodate the Thomas Cup, which features four South-east Asian teams.

    Other than Loh, other Singapore players set to feature at the Thomas Cup are second singles Jason Teh, and doubles pairs Loh Kean Hean and Terry Hee, and Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Andy Kwek.

    Singapore Badminton Association chief executive officer Alan Ow said: "We will send our strongest possible team to both the Thomas Cup and SEA Games, and do our best to prepare well for both campaigns.

    "We have a good blend of experience and youth in our squad, and while it is a tough draw, we believe we can compete to win matches."

    Meanwhile, at the ongoing US$90,000 (S$122,000) Orleans Masters in France, world No. 107 Teh reached the men’s singles quarter-finals, where he lost 21-16, 21-15 to local favourite and world No. 32 Toma Junior Popov on Friday (April 1).

    Tan Wei Han and Hee defeated Hong Kong’s world No. 189 Reginald Lee and Ng Tsz Yau 15-21, 21-14, 21-13 in the mixed doubles quarter-finals. They will face France’s 82nd-ranked Fabien Delrue and Vimala Heriau in the semi-finals of the Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 100 event on Saturday.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Making of a world champ: Shuttler Loh Kean Yew left his home, family, school to chase his dreams
    Badminton: S'pore men's team secure historic medal at Asia Team C'ships
     
  18. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Singapore in tough group at Thomas Cup with Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand
    [​IMG]Yahoo News Singapore
    [​IMG]
    Chia Han Keong

    ·Editor
    Fri, 1 April 2022, 5:48 pm·1-min read

    [​IMG]
    Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew plays against Dwi Wardoyo Chico Aura of Indonesia at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Shah Alam. (PHOTO: Wong Fok Loy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    SINGAPORE — The Singapore men's national badminton team were given a tough draw at the Thomas Cup, in only their third outing at the prestigious tournament.

    Loh Kean Yew and his national teammates were drawn together in Group A with powerhouse nations Indonesia and South Korea, as well as Thailand. Only the top two teams will advance into the quarter-final knockout stage of the Cup, which will be held in Bangkok from 8 to 15 May.

    Meanwhile, Group B will feature Denmark, China, France and Algeria; Group C will have Taiwan, India, Germany and Canada; and Group D will have Japan, Malaysia, England and New Zealand.

    Singapore had qualified for the Thomas Cup after they finished joint-third at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Selangor in February. The city-state had previously qualified for the Cup in 1986 and 2014.

    Besides Loh, the reigning world champion, other members of the team at the Asia Team Championships include singles players Jason Teh and Joel Koh, and doubles pairs Wesley Koh/Andy Kwek and Terry Hee/Danny Bawa Chrisnanta.

    The biennial Thomas Cup is widely considered as the most prestigious team competition in badminton, with 31 editions being held since 1948. Only five countries have become champions: Indonesia (14 times), China (10), Malaysia (five), Japan and Denmark (one each
     
  19. lodoss

    lodoss Regular Member

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    Singapore won XD final in the Orleans Masters 2022

    upload_2022-4-3_21-36-10.png
     
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  20. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Terry Hee, Tan Wei Han win Orleans Masters mixed doubles final, 3rd title in 6 months
    [​IMG]
    National shuttlers Terry Hee (left) and Tan Wei Han celebrating after their victorious Orleans Masters mixed doubles final in France on April 3, 2022. PHOTO: YOHAN NONOTTE/BADMINTONPHOTO
    [​IMG]

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED
    APR 3, 2022, 8:14 PM SGT

    SINGAPORE - National shuttlers Terry Hee and Tan Wei Han captured their third title in six months and their seventh title together after beating Indonesia’s world No. 49 Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto and Lisa Ayu Kusumawati 21-12, 16-21, 21-13 in the Orleans Masters mixed doubles final in France on Sunday (April 3).

    For their triumph at the Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 100 event, the married couple picked up a cheque for US$7,110 (S$9,646) and are set to climb again from their current world ranking of 86th.

    They were ranked 15th in 2017 before Tan suffered injuries and Hee enlisted for national service in 2019. They had slipped to as low as 808th in December 2018.

    But they were on fire this past week. In the earlier rounds, they dispatched France’s William Villeger and Anne Tran (ranked 75th) and England’s Callum Hemming and Jessica Pugh (50). They then overcame Hong Kong’s Reginald Lee and Ng Tsz Yau (189) in the quarter-finals and France’s Fabien Delrue and Vimala Heriau (82) in the semi-finals.

    In the final, their experience showed against the 22-year-olds from Indonesia.

    With Tan, 28, covering the front court capably to set up Hee’s smashes from the back, they raced to an 11-2 lead, with their opponents in disarray, before claiming the first game.

    However, the Indonesians found their rhythm in the second game to set up a rubber game. It was a closely fought decider before the interval, but the Singaporeans then came out with all guns blazing from 11-9 to take eight out of the next nine points and give themselves a healthy buffer they never relinquished.

    Tan, who could barely raise her arm due to a shoulder issue after their quarter-final, said: “We are extremely delighted and proud of the tenacity we displayed in every match. In the last game, we reminded each other not to ease up and keep going for every point.”

    National doubles coach Yap Kim Hock
    felt that the duo have been very focused and executed the right tactics.

    The target for the pair now is to get back into the top 20 and “improve their consistency across training and competition”.

    Since tying the knot on Oct 2, and returning to competition as a duo in the same month, Hee and Tan have been in blistering form.

    They won the lower-tier Czech Open in the second tournament back, before clinching their first Super 500 event at the India Open in January. They also reached the semi-finals at the lower-tier Dutch Open and Belgian International last year, and the last 16 of the Swiss Open in March.

    Hee, 26, said: “Many said we are getting old and may not have a long runway, and this may result in limited support and funding. But we strongly believe we have what it takes, and we are determined to prove them wrong with results.”

    The pair will now move on to the April 5-10 Korea Open, a Super 500 event, where they will meet unranked South Koreans Shin Tae-yang and Chang Ye-na.

    Other Singaporeans who will feature in South Korea include Yeo Jia Min, Jaslyn Hooi, Loh Kean Hean, Danny Bawa Chrisnanta, Andy Kwek, Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong.

    World champion Loh Kean Yew will remain in Singapore to recover and train as he was quarantined in England and could not train in March after testing positive for Covid-19 at the All England Open.



    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Badminton: S'pore's Terry Hee and Tan Wei Han upset odds to win India Open title
    Badminton: Doubles joy for newly weds Terry Hee, Tan Wei Han at Czech Open
     

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