Heng Swee Keat posts video of ‘friendly’ badminton game with world champion Loh Kean Yew

Singapore — Badminton player Loh Kean Yew made history with his men’s singles title win at the Hylo Open 2021 in Saarbrucken, Germany, on Sunday (Nov 7).

Congratulations came pouring in toward the 24-year-old Loh, who defeated reigning All-England champion Lee Zii Jia and gained his second professional title. 

It was also his first win at the Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 500 level, the fourth tier on the professional badminton circuit.

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat is among those who publicly congratulated Mr Loh, as well as Ms Yeo Jia Min, who placed second in the women’s singles at the Hylo Open.

But the DPM was able to take this a step further, posting a short video clip of himself playing badminton with the national champion taken fairly recently.

“I met Kean Yew and a few of our national badminton players some months ago at Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria where we played some friendly rallies. This is his first career BWF World Tour Super 500 title and he’s also the first-ever Singaporean male to win a Superseries/Super 500+ event!

Congratulations both, and keep going!,” wrote the DPM in a Tuesday morning Facebook post.

Mr Loh has been on a meteoric rise in the past few years. In early 2019, he scored a sensational victory over two-time Olympic singles champion Lin Dan to win the Thailand Masters finals.

Then just 21, Mr Loh was relatively unknown and ranked 125th in the world, seemed to have risen out from nowhere.

“It’s an honour to be able to play with Lin Dan, to stand on the same stage as him. It’s been my dream since young. He is very experienced and it wasn’t easy to play with him,” he was quoted as saying then.

“I think I used my age as an advantage to outrun him. I can’t really remember what was going through my head but I think I just kept telling myself to stay focused.”

Last month, Mr Loh won the Dutch Open.

Born in Penang, Malaysia, in 1997, the athlete arrived in Singapore due to a scholarship from Singapore Sports School in 2010.

His older brother, Loh Kean Hean, came to Singapore the year before he did and is also a badminton player—a doubles specialist who represents the country in tournaments.

The brothers later became Singapore citizens, with Mr Loh quoted as saying, “I am honoured to wear the Singapore flag on my chest.” /TISG

Read also: Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew stuns China badminton legend in Thailand

Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew stuns China badminton legend in Thailand