Badminton champion Loh Kean Yew is off to a good start in this year’s South East Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam. He won his first men’s singles match on Thursday against Malaysia’s Kok Jing Hong, as well as his second against the Philippines Jewel Angelo Albo in the quarter-finals on Friday (May 20).
Loh, 24, is currently ranked No. 10 in the world, and next faces Vietnam’s Nguyen Tien Minh. And while Loh is guaranteed at least a joint-bronze medal, he is hoping to better his 2019 silver medal men’s singles finish, gunning for the gold this time around.
“I’ve gotten bronze and silver in the individual event, but have never gotten gold before. Naturally, that is my goal, my target,” he told CNA recently.
Loh lost to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, currently ranked sixth in the world, in the 2019 final.
1983 was the last time Singapore won the gold for the event, when Wong Shoon Keat, who had the home-court advantage, took pole position.
After a slow start on Tuesday, he emerged victorious over Kok, 18-21, 21-15, 21-11, ranked 199th in the world.
Friday’s game against Albo went quicker, with the Singaporean champion easily besting his opponent, who is ranked 1,115th in the world, 21-7, 21-8, to clinch his spot in the final four.
Loh came to the SEA Games after ending the Thomas Cup finals in Bangkok last week on a high note, winning all three of his first-singles ties.
His opponent in the quarter-finals, Vietnam’s Nguyen, 39, is currently at 69th place in the world rankings. Formerly ranked 5th in the world, Nguyen took the bronze medal at the World Championship in 2013, his best achievement to date.
On Tuesday, May 18, Loh was featured in a #GuessTheBio tweet from The Olympic Games’ account, to which he posted a “That’s me” meme.
👀😆 https://t.co/sah6wyAwg9 pic.twitter.com/0k4uwjEDeq
— Loh Kean Yew (@reallohkeanyew) May 19, 2022
/TISG