Singapore Badminton Scene

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

  1. Arisuin

    Arisuin Regular Member

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    I find that a lot of Asian countries really care about ethnic background. It's not everywhere but discrimination is still common. It helps let them make excuses for why a player might not have great performance or why they do perform well.

    Kinda like how that there were many Malaysians that made it seem like LKY's accomplishment at WCs represented Malaysia despite the fact he was playing for Singapore.



    Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
     
  2. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Loh Kean Yew gets kind draw for World Championships title defence
    Loh Kean Yew gets kind draw for World Championships defence (yahoo.com)
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    Chia Han Keong

    ·Editor
    Wed, 10 August 2022 at 6:55 pm·3-min read

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    Singapore shuttlers (from left) Loh Kean Yew, Terry Hee and Jessica Tan will be competing at the 2022 Badminton World Championships in Tokyo. (PHOTOS: Getty Images, Commonwealth Games Singapore)

    SINGAPORE — Loh Kean Yew will begin his Badminton World Championships men's singles title defence against Spain's world No.59 Pablo Abian, with the Singaporean given a relatively comfortable passage until the quarter-finals.

    Following the official draw on Wednesday (10 August) for the championships - to be held from 22 to 28 August in Tokyo - the world No.9 will avoid the likes of world No.1 Viktor Axelsen, as well as a host of players who had recently defeated him, until the final.

    Those players include Taiwan's Chou Tien-chen, whom he fell to in June's Indonesia Masters semi-finals; Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, who defeated him in last month's Singapore Open; and Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong, who stunned the 25-year-old at the recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

    Still, Loh has to contend with several tricky opponents in his side of the draw. He could meet Hong Kong veteran and world No.11 Angus Ng as early as the round of 16. In the quarter-finals, he could face world No.3 Anders Antonsen - whom he defeated en route to his world title in Spain last December - or Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn, whom he lost to in the final of the SEA Games singles competition.

    In the semi-finals, he could face long-time rival Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, newly-crowed Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen, or Japan's world No.2 Kento Momota.

    Loh had created a memorable slice of sporting history for Singapore last December, as he became the city-state's first world champion in Huelva, Spain, defeating India's Kidambi Srikanth in the World Championships men's singles final.

    That stunning triumph, a culmination of a period of red-hot form, allowed him to climb up the world rankings from No.44 last October to No.9.

    Mixed doubles duo open campaign against English pair
    Singapore's newly-crowned Commonwealth Games mixed doubles champions Terry Hee and Jessica Tan will begin their world championships campaign against England's Callum Hemming and Jessica Pugh in the round of 64.

    Should they win the tie, the unseeded husband-wife duo - who clinched only Singapore's second-ever badminton gold at the Games - will next face Japan's 12th-seeded Yuki Kaneko and Misaki Matsumoto, who received a bye into the round of 32.

    Hee and Tan are in the same bracket as Thailand's world No.2 pair of Dechapol Punvaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai, and could meet them in the quarter-finals should they advance to the stage.

    Meanwhile, Singapore's top women's shuttler Yeo Jia Min, who earned a bronze medal in her singles competition at the Commonwealth Games, is drawn to face South Korea's world No.43 Sim Yu-jin in her opening round.

    The world No.18 is drawn in the same half as Taiwan's world No.2 Tai Tzu-ying, China's world No.4 Chen Yufei and Thailand's former world champion Ratchanok Intanon.

    Hee will also be taking part in the men's doubles competition with Loh's elder brother Kean Hean, as they are set to face France's Cristo Popov and Toma Junior Popov in the opening round.

    Women's doubles pair Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong will take on Austria's Serena Au Yeong and Katharina Hochmeir in their opening-round tie, while Jason Teh will begin his men's singles campaign against the Netherlands' Mark Caljouw.
     
  3. ants

    ants Regular Member

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    Congrats Singapore for winning the Gold Medal in Mixed Doubles during COG2022. Hope they will be able to carry the momentum and scalp some big names in the World Championship.
     
  4. nokh88

    nokh88 Regular Member

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    Many SIN representatives in this edition. Was there a bigger one before?
     
  5. ants

    ants Regular Member

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    I think not so much... probably in 2007 where Sg have Ronald, Kendrick, Lili, Xing Aiying, Hendri and Hendra, LiYujia and Jiang Yanmei. As far as i can remember...
     
  6. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Hi Ants and nokh88,
    Long time no hear. Trust you are well.
    You are right, SGP has not produced any great players recently, except LKY.
    But long time ago, we had Wong Peng Soon, who was a world-beater.
    However, we are hoping Terry and Jessica can continue to blossom in XD and make a name for themselves and SGP.
     
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  7. ants

    ants Regular Member

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    I am well buddy. :) Hope to see you in Sg when things are more settled down.
     
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  8. nokh88

    nokh88 Regular Member

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    I am doing fine. Still hitting some birdies but with less pace, goes with age. :)
     
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  9. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    How many junior players does Singapore have in each age group including part time training that are training in national centre?

    During these two years of pandemic, HK national training centre had quite a lot of 2004-2006 birth cohort quit training. Did anything like that happen in Singapore?
     
  10. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton World Championships 2022: Your guide to the elite tournament
    Your guide to the 2022 Badminton World Championships (yahoo.com)
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    Chia Han Keong

    ·Editor
    Mon, 15 August 2022 at 10:48 am·7-min read

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    (From left) Singapore shuttlers Loh Kean Yew and Jessica Tan/Terry Hee, as well as Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia will be taking part in the 2022 BWF World Championships. (PHOTOS: Getty Images/Commonwealth Games Singapore)

    SINGAPORE — The Badminton World Championships will be held from 22 to 28 August at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, and there is added significance this year for Singapore as its top shuttler Loh Kean Yew will be defending the men's singles title he won so memorably in December last year.

    Here's everything you need to know about this edition of the elite tournament:

    Relive Loh Kean Yew's world title victory:

    WORLD CHAMPION: Loh Kean Yew makes history for Singapore badminton

    COMMENT: Loh Kean Yew learnt to seize the moment

    Loh Kean Yew sets his sights on Olympic medal after becoming world champion

    Loh Kean Yew: World title is just new beginning, I've still got long way to go

    Facts and figures
    Official name: Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships

    History and significance: Together with the Summer Olympics badminton competitions, this tournament offers the most ranking points for participating shuttlers on the BWF Tour circuit. The winners of each category are crowned as world champions, and are awarded gold medals.

    The tournament started in 1977, and has been held annually since 2006, although it is not held during the Summer Olympics years to avoid schedule conflicts.

    Most successful shuttlers: Only one singles player has won the World Championships five times - China's Lin Dan, who won the men's singles event in 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.

    Spain's Carolina Marin is the most successful women's singles player, winning the event in 2014, 2015 and 2018.

    In the doubles events, South Korea's Park Joo-bong and China's Zhao Yunlei have each won five titles. Park won two men's doubles (1985, 1991) and three mixed doubles titles (1985, 1989, 1991), while Zhao clinched two women's doubles (2014, 2015) and three mixed doubles golds (2011, 2014, 2015).

    Only 12 countries have produced world champions: China, Indonesia, Denmark, South Korea, Japan, England, Sweden, United States, Thailand, Spain, India and Singapore.
     
  11. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Pek Siah shows a woman coach can be equally successful
    Badminton: Pek Siah shows a woman coach can be equally successful | The Star
    RAJES PAUL
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    Experienced: Lim Pek Siah was the national women’s doubles coach from 2015 to 2018.

    PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s Lim Pek Siah has been making a roaring presence in Singapore to show a woman coach can also make it big abroad.

    Pek Siah’s charges Terry Hee-Jessica Tan won the Lion City’s first Commonwealth Games mixed doubles gold in Birmingham recently after defeating England’s Marcus Ellis and Lauren Smith 21-16, 21-15 in the final.

    En route to the final, the husband-and-wife pair had beaten independent shuttlers Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing in the semi-finals.

    The former international is currently the acting coach in charge of the doubles department following the departure of the previous Malaysian head Yap Kim Hock in May and the Commonwealth Games was her first big assignment.

    She is the first woman badminton coach to venture outside of Malaysia after her contract was not renewed by Badminton Association of Malaysia in 2019.

    Her commendable showing as a coach in Singapore has opened up an opportunity for her to return to Malaysia as doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky is looking for the replacement for mixed doubles coach Paulus Firman.

    “My contract here runs until November. SBA (Singapore Badminton Association) are going to renew my contract,” said Pek Siah.

    Asked whether she would be keen to return home to coach, Pek Siah said: “BAM is the place I grew up since I was young. Who would not want to be part of it? I believe it is every ex-player’s wish.”

    Pek Siah was the women’s doubles coach with BAM when Vivian Hoo-Chow Mei Kuan won the gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games edition.

    For now, she is just relishing her job in Singapore.

    “I won a gold as a player (with Ang Li Peng) at the 2002 Manchester Games. I was standing on the podium and singing Negaraku and 20 years later, my players are standing tall and this time, I’m singing Majulah Singapore as a coach,” she said.

    “The feeling is totally different but I’m happy with the pair’s breakthrough win as they have been struggling since the SEA Games in Hanoi. Terry ended his national service last year (February).

    “Hopefully, they will be able to keep this momentum at the World Championships (Tokyo from Aug 21-28).

    “Their victory is a great team effort.

    As a coach, Pek Siah has grown and appreciated SBA for their faith in her.

    “It’s great to be part of a major Games as a coach. It has been a great experience, I learnt how to manage players when they are under pressure before and during the Games,” she said.
     
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  12. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    Why can’t a woman be a successful coach in another country?

    Any specific reasons?
     
  13. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    There are few successful women coaches around to set an example. Sex discrimination is still prevalent, unfortunately.
     
  14. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    BWF World Championships 2022: Here’s a Recap of Last Edition and How India Fared in the Badminton Tournament Last Year
    BWF World Championships 2022: Here's a Recap of Last Edition and How India Fared in the Badminton Tournament Last Year - Onhike

    August 18, 2022 Charles Sports 0

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    The BWF World Championship, commonly known as the World Badminton Championships is one of the most prestigious tournaments in badminton history. It is sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The first ever Badminton World Championship was held in Malmo, Sweden in 1977 and was organised by the International Badminton Federation (IBF) later merged and made one with the BWF. BWF World Championships 2022 Schedule: Date, Time in IST and All You Need To Know About the Badminton Tournament.

    The World Badminton Championship has been held in three different continents in the last 45 years, throughout Asia, Europe, and North America. The event was held once every three years until 1983 but was turned into a biennial affair because the IBF and BWF had difficulty hosting the event consecutively. Then after 2005, the tournament was turned into an annual event.

    Recap of World Badminton Championships 2021

    The 2021 BWF World Championship was the 26th edition of the tournament and It was held in Huelva, Spain. A total of 322 athletes from 49 countries had taken part in the tournament. Japan finished at the top of the 2021 championship medal table. They won a total of five medals including two gold, one silver, and two bronze. They were followed by China in second place with four medals including one gold and in third place, Singapore and Thailand were tied up with only one gold medal each. BWF World Championships 2022: Top Medal Contenders for India at the Upcoming Badminton Tournament.

    Japan won their golds in Women’s singles ( Akane Yamaguchi) and Men’s doubles (Takuro Hoki, Yugo Kobayashi). China with their one gold in Women’s doubles (Chen Qingchen, Jia Yifan), and Singapore and Thailand won a gold in Men’s singles (Loh Kean Yew) and Mixed doubles ( Dechapol Puavaranukroh, Sapsiree Taerattanachai) respectively.

    India’s Performance at 2021 World Badminton Championships

    In the 26th edition, India finished in the fifth position along with South Korea. They both won two medals each, one silver and a bronze. India’s Srikanth Kidambi and Lakshya Sen won silver and bronze medals in men’s singles respectively. The 2022 BWF world championship will be held in the land of the rising sun from August 22 to 28.

    (The above story first appeared on Onhike on Aug 18, 2022 01:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website onhike.com).
     
  15. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Yeo Jia Min out of world championships after testing positive for Covid-19 again
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    Yeo Jia Min had contracted Covid-19 earlier this week after returning from the Commonwealth Games on Aug 10. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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    Laura Chia

    PUBLISHED
    AUG 19, 2022, 2:48 PM SGT

    SINGAPORE - Singapore's top female player Yeo Jia Min will not compete at the upcoming Badminton World Championships, she announced in an Instagram post on Friday (Aug 19).

    Yeo had contracted Covid-19 earlier this week - her second time getting the virus - after returning from the Commonwealth Games on Aug 10.

    While she has recovered and was seen in training on Wednesday, her polymerase chain reaction test still returned a positive result, meaning she would not be able to enter Japan.

    All travellers to Japan must return a negative PCR test conducted within 72 hours before departure.

    World No. 18 Yeo had been due to play South Korean world No. 43 Sim Yu-jin in the first round.

    Yeo, who was knocked out in the second round last year, posted a photo of herself donning her match outfit.

    The 23-year-old wrote: "All set for World Championships with new dresses sent from @lining.official.

    "However, I unfortunately will not be able to enter Japan to participate this year.

    "Wishing my teammates the best at Worlds nonetheless, do send them your support!"

    Yeo had also tested positive for the virus in January.

    The rest of the team, including men's singles world champion Loh Kean Yew, left for Tokyo on Friday for the Aug 22-28 tournament.

    Eighth seed Loh's title defence will begin against Spanish world No. 59 Pablo Abian, whom he beat in their only meeting at last year's Dutch Open.

    He has also been placed in the same half of the draw as Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen, Japanese former world No. 1 Kento Momota, Danish world No. 3 Anders Antonsen and Malaysian star Lee Zii Jia.

    Also part of the Singapore team in Tokyo are Commonwealth Games mixed doubles champions Terry Hee and Jessica Tan.

    The world No. 33 pair will kick off their campaign against England's Callum Hemming and Jessica Pugh in the first round.

    They won their only meeting against the 46th-ranked duo at the Orleans Masters in March.

    Hee will also be in action in the men's doubles with Loh Kean Hean. They will take on France's Cristo Popov and Toma Junior Popov in the first round.

    Commonwealth Games men's singles semi-finalist Jason Teh will face Mark Caljouw of the Netherlands in the opening round, while women's doubles pair Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong will meet Austria's Serena Au Yeong and Katharina Hochmeir.
     
  16. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Singapore's golden couple Terry Hee, Jessica Tan want to create more history
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    Terry Hee and his wife Jessica Tan are the first Singaporeans to win the badminton mixed doubles title at the Commonwealth Games. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
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    Laura Chia

    PUBLISHED
    AUG 20, 2022, 7:40 PM SGT

    SINGAPORE - A gold medal changes things. For Terry Hee, it happens on Tuesday (Aug 16) at a petrol station in Singapore. He is about to pay when someone recognises him, stops him and asks for a photograph.

    It is a week after he and his wife Jessica Tan won the badminton mixed doubles title at the Commonwealth Games, the first Singaporeans to do so at the quadrennial competition.

    Of this newfound attention - people regularly come up to them to offer their congratulations - Tan joked: "Now we need to behave ourselves more in public and need to be more conscious of how we are."

    She added: "We didn't expect the coverage to be so big (that) so many people (would) know about it such that they could recognise us.

    "It's very heartwarming to know that so many Singaporeans are happy for us... but I don't think it has really changed us as a person. We're still us."

    What is different is the level of scrutiny on them. Tan, 29, explained: "In the past, we had the pressure of wanting to prove that we still have what it takes after coming back (as a pair) together, so we wanted to do well and let our results do the talking.

    "Now, maybe it's more of meeting others' expectations of always performing at the level they saw us at the Commonwealth Games.

    "What's most important is how we handle (the pressure) and how we use it to our advantage instead of allowing it to affect our performance negatively. It's not easy so we're still learning."

    Hee, 27, added: "There will always be expectations from people but to be honest, I don't feel pressure because I always feel pressure is something you give yourself.

    "It can be a form of motivation or trouble for you so it's just how you manage expectations."

    They won the 2014 Singapore International in their first outing together but later struggled as a partnership due to Hee's National Service commitments and Tan's shoulder and knee surgeries.

    After getting married last October, their on-court relationship has also flourished, winning four tournaments, including the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

    But the grind has not stopped as they had just over a week to recover and prepare for the Aug 22-28 Badminton World Federation World Championships, followed by the Japan Open - a World Tour Super 750 event.

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    The other Singaporeans competing in Tokyo are reigning men's singles world champion Loh Kean Yew, Commonwealth Games men's singles semi-finalist Jason Teh as well as women's doubles pair Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong.

    Eighth seed Loh's title defence begins with a clash against Spanish world No. 58 Pablo Abian, whom he beat in their only meeting at last year's Dutch Open.

    Teh will face Mark Caljouw of the Netherlands in the opening round, while Jin and Wong will meet Austria's Serena Au Yeong and Katharina Hochmeir.

    World No. 33 Hee and Tan's campaign start against England's Callum Hemming and Jessica Pugh. They won their only meeting against the 46th-ranked duo at the Orleans Masters in March.

    Hee will also be in action in the men's doubles with Loh Kean Hean, facing France's Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov in the first round.

    MORE ON THIS TOPIC
    Commonwealth Games: S'pore clinch historic badminton mixed doubles gold after beating England
    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew faces tricky path in bid for back-to-back world titles

    With the short lead-up, Hee and Tan have yet to properly celebrate or take their Commonwealth Games medals out of the original packaging.

    Neither want to dwell too long on the past though. Tan said: "We're really happy with what we've achieved but we want more... It's over already and we're looking forward now and for greater things."

    Hee added: "This journey is one of the best trips we've ever been on and it gives us a lot of confidence which will help in our game.

    "Moving forward, we hope to bring this focus and consistency into our future games.

    "What's more is this is also recognition that will motivate us. From there, we will keep our hunger to achieve more and make more history."
     
  17. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Loh Kean Yew begins title defence by beating Spain’s Abian in first round of World Championships
    At last year’s World Championships, the Singaporean went on a fairytale run which saw him beat Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen en route to winning the title.

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    File Photo of Loh Kean Yew. (Photo: Andy Chua/Commonwealth Games Singapore)
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    Matthew Mohan
    @MatthewMohanCNA
    22 Aug 2022 09:46PM(Updated: 22 Aug 2022 09:50PM)

    SINGAPORE: Badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew began his title defence on Monday (Aug 22) with a straightforward win over Spain’s Pablo Abian.

    The Singaporean beat world number 58 Abian 21-12, 21-12 in 29 minutes to progress to the second round of the BWF World Championships. This year’s tournament is held in Tokyo, Japan.

    This is the second career meeting between both players. Loh beat Abian in straight games at the Dutch Open last year.

    The 25-year-old, who is currently ranked eighth in the world, will next face Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon.

    At last year’s World Championships, Loh went on a fairytale run which saw him upset a number of higher ranked players including Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen en route to winning the title.

    Loh is Singapore’s only representative in the men’s singles after Jason Teh was eliminated in the opening round. World ranked 86 Teh lost 13-21, 14-21 to Netherlands’ Mark Caljouw.

    In the men’s doubles, the pair of Terry Hee and Loh Kean Hean also started their campaign with a win. They beat France’s Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov 21-17, 21-18 and will next face Malaysia's Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi.

    Hee and Jessica Tan however advanced to the next round of the mixed doubles via walkover. The husband-wife duo who recently won Commonwealth Games gold in the event, will next face Japan’s twelfth seeds Yuki Kaneko and Misaki Matsutomo.

    The women’s singles event will be without Singapore’s top ranked women’s singles player Yeo Jia Min who announced that she would be pulling out of the tournament last week.

    In an Instagram post, the world number 18 said that she had contracted COVID-19 - her second time getting the virus - after returning from the Commonwealth Games.

    While Yeo has since recovered, she noted that her polymerase chain reaction test still returned a positive result, meaning she would not be able to enter Japan.
     
  18. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Terry Hee, Loh Kean Hean shock Malaysian bronze medallists at World C'ships
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    Loh Kean Hean (right) and Terry Hee beat last year's bronze medallists and world No.10s Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi of Malaysia. PHOTO: BADMINTONPHOTO
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    David Lee

    PUBLISHED
    AUG 24, 2022, 10:56 AM SGT

    SINGAPORE – On a perfect day for Singapore at the Badminton World Championships, all four of their singles and doubles representatives made it to the round of 16 after overcoming strong opponents.

    World No. 41 men’s doubles pair Terry Hee and Loh Kean Hean started the ball rolling on Wednesday (Aug 24) when they stunned reigning bronze medallists Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi of Malaysia.

    Producing a stirring defensive display against their 10th-ranked opponents, the Singaporeans won 22-20, 22-20 to earn a showdown against India’s 35th-ranked M. R. Arjun and Dhruv Kapila on Thursday.

    Hee said: “I guess the pressure was on them, that’s why maybe they under-performed, and we are very happy to come away with the win. We always look for room for improvement. Even though we are satisfied with our performance today, we hope we can produce even better badminton and bigger upsets.”

    Kean Hean admitted that he “didn’t start well”. “There were a lot of mistakes on my side and my shots were too soft,” he said.

    “I tried to take more initiative to fight the front (court) and applied more pressure. I’m glad I managed to challenge myself to tweak something during the match although we were trailing, and it worked.”

    He noted that their patience paid off, especially in the second set when they were trailing. “We didn’t think about the score. We just focused on how to win each point as they came.”

    Hee and Loh have had a fine run in the tournament as they also upset 27th-ranked French brothers Christo and Toma Junior Popov in the first round.

    Against the Malaysians, who beat them in their only previous encounter at the 2017 SEA Games, Hee and Loh did well to keep the scores close.

    And even when their more illustrious opponents threatened to run away with the first game at 18-14 and held a game point, they kept their nerve to pinch the opener.

    The second game followed in a similar vein as Ong and Teo raced to a 13-8 lead, only for the Singaporeans to claw their way back with some outstanding defence and intelligent shot placements and seal the surprise win on their second match point.

    Also advancing on Wednesday was defending men’s singles champion Loh Kean Yew, who beat Tokyo 2020 semi-finalist Kevin Cordon of Guatemala 21-12, 11-21, 21-12.

    The world No. 8 produced a nine-point blitz in the first game and then a superb 12-1 start in the decider to overcome his second-game blip and move on to the third round, where he will face Hong Kong’s world No. 11 Angus Ng.

    Kean Yew said: “In the second game, the draught was kind of strong on my side, so it took me a while to adjust to the conditions. But overall, I think it was a good match for me, as Kevin played well also, so it’s definitely a good win.”

    Hee returned to the court later in the day with his wife Jessica Tan as the 32nd-ranked mixed doubles duo beat Japan’s world No. 16 Yuki Kaneko and Misaki Matsutomo 19-21, 21-11, 21-17.

    The Commonwealth Games champions squandered a 17-11 lead in the opener and were down 7-4 in the second. Instead of crumbling, they came storming back with a series of good serves from Tan and Hee’s aggressive play to pull away in the second game.

    They had another handy 18-10 advantage, and this time they survived the local favourites’ fightback to seal another memorable victory in an hour and a meeting with Hong Kong’s world No. 7 Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet, who beat China’s 35th-ranked Guo Xinwa and Zhang Shuxian.

    Tan said: “We tried to focus on our own performance and consistency instead of the home support. Every win is satisfying in its own way, regardless of whether it is an upset or not.

    “Now, we just want to focus on the next match. We will be underdogs again, and we will continue to fight and give our 100 per cent.”

    There was more good news for the Singapore camp as its 80th-ranked women’s pair, Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong, also progressed to the last 16 after their opponents, three-time silver medallists Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota of Japan, withdrew. The Japanese are ranked No. 2 in the world.

    Jin and Wong will meet Chinese world No. 13s Zhang and Zheng Yu next.
     
  19. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Loh Kean Yew bounces back from world c'ships disappointment with 1st round win at Japan Open
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    Loh Kean Yew defeated China's Zhao Junpeng to set up a clash with either India's H. S. Prannoy or Hong Kong's Angus Ng in the round of 16. PHOTO: AFP
    [​IMG]

    David Lee

    PUBLISHED
    AUG 30, 2022, 3:57 PM SGT

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    SINGAPORE - Loh Kean Yew responded to the disappointment from his badminton World Championships quarter-final exit last week by beating China's bronze medallist Zhao Junpeng 21-15, 21-9 in the opening round of the Japan Open on Tuesday (Aug 30).

    He will face world No. 18 H. S. Prannoy in the round of 16 at the Maruzen Intec Arena Osaka tomorrow. Loh had beaten the 30-year-old Indian in the World Championships quarter-final last year en route to a historic world title.

    Against Zhao, Loh – who has risen to a career-high world No. 7 – was quick to the net, precise with his shots to the corners, and generally able to impose his aggressive strategy. He sealed the win in 32 minutes against the world No. 19.

    The 25-year-old told The Straits Times he has moved on from being dethroned as world champion, and said: “Every day is a new day, I just got to look forward and keep going.

    “I’m happy I was able to perform well today, execute my game plan to stay on top of my opponent. Prannoy will be a tough opponent so I’ll need to analyse him well and be ready.

    “As for the world rankings, I’m also glad to reach a career high, but I will continue to work hard and hopefully climb further.”

    His brother Kean Hean and Terry Hee however, did not advance to the next round after losing 21-23, 21-13, 21-18 to Denmark’s eighth-ranked men’s doubles pair Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.

    The Singaporeans, No. 36 in the world, saved four game points to take the opener, but could not keep up in the next two games, going as close as 18-17 in the decider before losing in an hour.

    Hee will return to the court on Wednesday with his wife Jessica Tan as the world No. 29 mixed doubles duo to take on China’s 32nd-ranked Guo Xinwa and Zhang Shuxian.

    The Republic’s world No. 18 Yeo Jia Min, who missed the World Championships after testing positive for Covid-19, will open her women’s singles campaign against Thailand’s 29th-ranked Supanida Katethong.

    Meanwhile, newly-crowned men’s singles world champion Viktor Axelsen, who was on Loh’s side of the draw, pulled out of the Japan Open. The Danish world No. 1 was replaced by Frenchman Brice Leverdez, who beat South Korean Heo Kwang-hee to make it to the round of 16.

    Likewise, Malaysia’s men’s doubles world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik also withdrew, with Chia dealing with a right-shoulder injury. They were replaced by China’s Ren Xiangyu and Tan Qiang, who lost to compatriots Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi.

    The US$750,000 (S$1.05 million) Japan Open is a Super 750 event, on the third tier of the Badminton World Federation World Tour circuit.
     
  20. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Loh Kean Yew suffers narrow loss in Japan Open, to take break until October

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    Chia Han Keong

    ·Editor
    Thu, 1 September 2022 at 1:23 pm·2-min read

    [​IMG]
    Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew hits a return at the 2022 Japan Open in Osaka. (PHOTO: Zhang Xiaoyu/Xinhua via Getty Images)

    SINGAPORE — Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew suffered a narrow defeat by India's HS Prannoy in the last-16 of the Japan Open on Thursday (1 September).

    The world No.7 was beaten 20-22, 19-21 by his veteran rival in 44 minutes at the Maruzen Intec Arena in Osaka.

    Despite holding sizeable leads in both games - 18-11 in the first and 14-6 in the second - Loh was unable to prevent Prannoy from catching up and winning the match.

    The 25-year-old had defeated China's Zhao Junpeng in the round of 32 on Tuesday.

    Prannoy will next meet Taiwan's fourth seed Chou Tien-chen in the quarter-finals.

    Loh had relinquished his men's singles world title last week in Tokyo, losing to eventual runner-up Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the round of 16.

    Following his loss, Loh posted on his Facebook page that, with the defeat, he has concluded his 2021/22 badminton season, and will be taking a break until October's Denmark Open.

    "It’s been a long tour - one filled with many lessons and opportunities. I’ll cherish the happy times and learn from the tough times to create better experiences for the future," he wrote.

    "It’s time for me to take a break, to allow my body and mind to rest, recover and recharge."

    Mixed doubles duo Terry Hee and Jessica Tan were also eliminated from the Japan Open, after losing to second-seeded Thais Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai 14-21, 13-21 in 33 minutes.
     
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