Badminton: S'pore's Loh Kean Yew stuns world No. 1 Axelsen at World Championships Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew plays against Denmark's world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen in the first round of the BWF World Championships.PHOTO: BADMINTON PHOTO David Lee PUBLISHED 9 HOURS AGO FACEBOOKTWITTER SINGAPORE - National shuttler Loh Kean Yew has slain the biggest giant in the badminton world as he beat Denmark's world No. 1 and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen 14-21, 21-9, 21-6 in the first round of the Badminton World Federation World Championships in 54 minutes on Monday (Dec 13). The Singaporean world No. 22 got off to a poor start in Huelva, Spain, going down 5-0 in the first game and while he fought back to 11-10, his opponent - the 2017 world champion - used his 1.94-metre frame to impose better court coverage and take down the opening frame. However, Loh roared back after that with aggressive play, superb reading and pin-point finishing to record his first win over Axelsen in five attempts and inflict on the Dane only his fourth defeat in 65 matches this year. Said Loh: “I’m delighted to finally beat Viktor after five tries. I just kept trying and never stopped believing. “It has been a hectic end to the season for all of us. Viktor is a superb player and he will come back even stronger, while I need to recover well and stay focused to try and go as far as I can.” The 24-year-old will meet Austria's world No. 93 Luka Wraber in the second round on Wednesday. A gracious Axelsen said: "I lost to a better player. Nothing really came together for me. I tried to do my best and step up but today wasn't it. "It was a bad day at the office. Not many things went my way and a lot of things went Loh's way and he fully deserves the win today. I don't want to stand here and cry about what I could have done differently. Loh won the game and I didn't deserve it." National singles coach Kelvin Ho added: "The game plan was for Kean Yew to keep taking the initiative while being calm and patient, and he was mentally strong today." It has been a strong end to 2021 for Loh, who surged 21 places in eight weeks to crack the top 20 before settling in his current position. Besides capturing the Dutch Open and Hylo Open titles in the past two months, he also claimed the scalps of Japan's then-world No. 1 Kento Momota (Indonesia Open), Malaysia's world No. 7 and All England champion Lee Zii Jia (French Open) and Chinese Taipei's world No. 4 Chou Tien-chen (Hylo Open). Meanwhile, after receiving a first-round bye, compatriot and women's world No. 16 Yeo Jia Min will play Scotland's world No. 21 Kirsty Gilmour in the second round of the BWF World Championships on Tuesday. The winner of this match is projected to meet world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying in the next round, if the Taiwanese beats Russia's world No. 27 Evgeniya Kosetskaya.
I watched only the first game as I was very sleepy. And by the scoreline of game 2 and 3, how is it that Matthew said it was a see saw match?
Suntec and Expo not cheap. 2 hr $24 (off peak), add 1 tube of birdie ~$30, total $54. per person $11-$12. Maybe Matthew does not play badminton, or his definition of see-saw is different from ours. Anyway excellent win for LKY. he must treasure the change to go as far as possible. Personally, I think this WC is not strong in quality, even weaker than the Tokyo Olympics.
Badminton 18:45, 14-Dec-2021 Big shock in Badminton World Championships as top seed Axelsen crashes out Viktor Axelsen of Denmark prepares to serve during the men's singles first-round match against Loh Kean Yew of Singapore (not pictured) at Badminton World Championships in Huelva, Spain, December 13, 2021. /CFP There was a big surprise in the Badminton World Championships in Huelva, southern Spain on Monday, when world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen was knocked out of the competition by Singapore's Loh Kean Yew. Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Axelsen took the first set 21-14, but the Danish player struggled to find his game in the second set which Loh claimed 21-9 and things got even worse as the favorite took only six points in the decisive set. "I think he played like a winner today. He definitely deserved the victory, so I wish him all the best for the rest of the tournament," said Axelsen, who admitted that his "first game was OK, but then it was something I'd rather forget." "Pretty much everything fell apart in the second and third sets. Loh stepped up and I stepped down," he added. Loh Kean Yew of Singapore celebrates after winning the match with Viktor Axelsen of Denmark (not pictured) at Badminton World Championships in Huelva, Spain, December 13, 2021. /CFP Loh said he was delighted with his surprise win, but confessed he had been worried that Axelsen would "get his confidence back." "I felt he was under a lot of pressure and he wanted this very much. I'm sure he will come back stronger. I still have a long way to go, I need to be focused for my next match," Loh said. Axelsen's fellow countryman Anders Antonsen, the No. 3 seed, had a much better day, beating Vladimir Malkov from the Russian Badminton Federation 21-16, 21-13. Lee Cheuk Yiu of China's Hong Kong SAR returns a shot against Howard Shu of U.S. during their men's singles match at Badminton World Championships in Huelva, Spain, December 13, 2021. /CFP Lee Cheuk Yiu of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) breezed past Howard Shu of the U.S. 21-8, 21-14 in a match that lasted just 28 minutes, while another representative of China's Hong Kong SAR Yip Pui Yin defeated Kristian Kuuba from Estonia 21-11, 21-14. In the women's singles, Chinese shuttler Zhang Yiman, ranked 46th in the world, upset Hong Kong SAR's Cheung Ngan Yi 21-10, 21-13. China's Di Zijian (L) and Wang Chang compete during the men's doubles match at Badminton World Championships in Huelva, Spain, December 13, 2021. /CFP There were mixed fortunes of Chinese players in the men's doubles, where Ou Xuanyi and Zhang Nan disposed of the Indian pair Arun George and Sanyam Shukla 21-15, 21-14. Another Chinese pair Di Zijian and Wang Chang lost to the Japanese duo Akira Koga and Taichi Saito 21-9, 21-13 as an improvement in the second set was not enough after struggling in the first. Source(s): Xinhua News Agency
Singapore's Loh Kean Yew beats Austria's Wraber, progresses to third round of badminton World Championships Loh Kean Yew competes in the men's singles badminton match at the Tokyo Olympics on Jul 26, 2021. (Photo: SNOC) Matthew Mohan @MatthewMohanCNA 15 Dec 2021 09:16PM(Updated: 15 Dec 2021 09:16PM) SINGAPORE: Badminton player Loh Kean Yew advanced to the third round of the men's singles at the BWF World Championship in Huelva, Spain after beating Austria's Luka Wraber 21-4, 21-8 on Wednesday (Dec 15). Loh, who is ranked 22nd in the world, cruised past world No 93 Wraber in 25 minutes. The Singaporean will next face either Germany's Kai Schaefer or Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen. The win follows Loh's upset victory over world number one Viktor Axelsen in the first round of the competition earlier this week. Loh is currently the only Singaporean in the tournament after compatriot Yeo Jia Min lost to Scotland's Kirsty Gilmour in the second round of the women's singles on Tuesday (Dec 14). Yeo, who is the 15th seed in the tournament and 16th in the world, fell 15-21, 21-8, 15-21 to the world ranked 21st Scot. Source: CNA/mt(ac)
No official statistics yet, but badminton has always been a popular sport here. The response from the badminton community has generally been positive although some complained about the court rental prices being high. In general, many badminton players are happy that many more courts are available especially after work and during weekends, and they do not have to compete for the limited public courts.
Provided he continues with his passion and maintains his discipline at training. More importantly. he has to keep himself in good health and fitness and not be distracted from his goal of rewarding Singapore with an Olympic medal.
Loh, I stayed there for 3 months . Each and every building has a badminton court in their premises. I lived in a condo. I will say students tend to play basketball more than badminton, i may be wrong. What's your opinion on it?
Not really, but nice to know that you stayed in a condo here for about 3 months. Indeed some condos have badminton and squash courts but not many. In the housing board heartlands, there are open-air courts meant for sepak takraw (kicking the rattan ball) but are also occasionally used for recreational badminton. There are fewer basketball courts than are badminton courts, I guess mainly because of space constraints. In almost every school, the hall is mainly used for badminton. And soccer is actually the most popular recreation, coming behind jogging and walking. I would put badminton ahead of basketball.
As a Singaporean myself, I should add that it was always a struggle to find "quality" open air courts back in the days (minimum wind and 4 sides all blocked by HDB) when the indoor court that you wanted was fully booked. hahaha. Very nostalgic.
I studied in Singapore more than 20 years ago. The standard of students inter school badminton is actually quite good. I thought there are many talented Singaporean teenagers playing badminton but most of them did not choose to train full time so there are hardly any high ranking players in adult competition. As for basketball compared to badminton, I said about the same level of popularity among students For students last time, we can play at community centres, if weekday before the end of working hours, should be able to get courts but weekends and after work are usually crowded and quite expensive. When I was working there after graduation, I played at a primary school hall 6pm onwards with some colleagues, that's the cheapest you can get at that time but need to book for 6 months(Jan-Jun or Jul-Dec)
From the bottom of my very heart, Loh Kean Yew is Singapore best bet to deliver big success in the name of the country. Can you imagine a Singaporean player wins a World Championship title while not a single Malaysian player has ever won it? Can you imagine the bragging rights and another trigger debate on racial politics in Malaysia. That would be a very funny scenario. Back to the topic, Singaporean badminton success is long overdue because they have always good players but they are held back by societal pressures, sub-par training regime and backward policies. For example, how many Singaporean men are willing to resume their badminton career full-time knowing full well that they will end up doing 2-years of national service. Even if I win an Olympic Gold or World Champ, what's the point? I still have to serve the NS. Two years of my life sort of gone (well depends on your point of view). So they rather focus on their studies and start graduating to compete for scholarship and well paying jobs instead. As for the women, it has always been a mystery to me. Why is the local talent so below par that Singapore has to resort to foreign talent especially for women's department. I suspect it is stemming from a general household upbringing that every kid should pick up a sport to excel in purely for their CV boost and stand out among the crowd to secure scholarships or university places. Another factor is Singaporean full time athletes simply do not get the respect they deserve from society in general so they want to avoid facing such reality.
Hi sen, it's nice to know you have also stayed in SG before, for quite a considerable period if my guess is correct. Did you attend any of our local universities? Yes, our community centre courts are in great demand because they are cheaper. The other popular courts will be the Sports Stadiums located in various parts of SG. SG parents' mentality hasn't changed much over the years. They still prefer their children to have good academic qualifications over sporting achievements. But the current impressive performances by LKY and Yeo Jiamin will have an impact on parents whose children are not academically-inclined. Where are you located now? Maybe it's about time to visit SG after the pandemic. Cheers!
Winning the WC and then needs to keep winning the SS, then mindset will change. I read the Wikipedia that he was laughed off playing badminton when he was young (in Malaysia) but if you look at what LeeChongWei have achieved i dont think those kids laughing will be laughing when they grew up.
Especially when the prize monies go up and up and up! Winners will be much sought after for commercial deals. And the monetary rewards will far exceed expectations!
Singapore's Loh Kean Yew thrashes higher-ranked Kantaphon, progresses to badminton World Championships quarters Loh Kean Yew has progressed to the quarter-finals of the men's singles at the BWF World Championships in Huelva, Spain. (Photo: Facebook/Team Singapore) Matthew Mohan @MatthewMohanCNA 17 Dec 2021 01:03AM(Updated: 17 Dec 2021 09:42AM) SINGAPORE: Badminton player Loh Kean Yew has progressed to the quarter-finals of the men's singles at the BWF World Championships in Huelva, Spain after clinching a decisive victory over Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen on Thursday (Dec 16). The Singaporean, who is ranked 22nd in the world, notched an impressive victory over the higher ranked Thai 21-4, 21-7 in 30 minutes. Kantaphon is ranked 20th in the world. Earlier in the tournament, Loh had upset world number one Viktor Axelsen in the first round, before going on to cruise past Austria's Luka Wraber in 25 minutes. Loh had all of the momentum in the early stages, leading by 7-1 early on as his opponent struggled to keep pace with his high-intensity play. The Thai, who is the tournament's 16th seed, had simply no answer to the unseeded Loh's smashes as the Singaporean would take the first game easily. Kantaphon and Loh last met in 2019 at the SEA Games, when Loh beat the 23-year-old in the semi-finals en route to clinching a silver medal. While that match stretched to three games, this one would not. This is Loh's best showing at the World Championships so far. In the previous edition, he made the last 16 before being knocked out by Chou Tien-Chen. 24-year-old Loh will next face either Dane Rasmus Gemke or India's H.S Prannoy for a spot in the semi-finals. Loh won his first career BWF World Tour Super 500 title at the Hylo Open last month. He also took the Dutch Open crown in October. Source: CNA/mt(ac)
Badminton: S'pore's Loh Kean Yew one win from world champs medal Singaporean shuttler Loh Kean Yew beat Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen 21-4, 21-7 in their last-16 match at the BWF World Championships in Spain on Thursday. PHOTO COURTESY OF BADMINTONPHOTO David Lee PUBLISHED 9 HOURS AGO SINGAPORE - National shuttler Loh Kean Yew is one win away from becoming the first Singaporean to win a medal at the Badminton World Federation World Championships after beating Thailand's Kantaphon Wangcharoen 21-4, 21-7 in their last-16 match on Thursday (Dec 16). The world No. 22 will face either Denmark's world No. 10 Rasmus Gemke or India's 32nd-ranked Prannoy H. S. in the quarter-finals in Huelva, Spain, on Friday and victory will ensure at least a shared bronze. Against world No. 20 Kantaphon, the bronze-medallist at the last edition in 2019, Loh was aggressive from the start and led 11-2 in the opening frame before closing it out in just 12 minutes. The 24-year-old continued to stay one step ahead of his opponent with his superior shuttlecock control and court coverage as he flew to an 11-0 start in the second game before claiming a dominant victory and matching Ronald Susilo's quarter-final run in the 2007 edition. Loh, who reached the last 16 at the previous world championships, said: "I'm happy things went according to plan and I managed to win another match and reach my first world championship quarter-final, but it is not over yet. "I need to stay focused and continue to recover and prepare well for the next match." It has been a strong end to 2021 for Loh, who surged 21 places in eight weeks to crack the top 20 before settling in at No. 22. Besides capturing the Dutch Open and Hylo Open titles in the past two months, he also claimed the scalps of Japan's then-world No. 1 Kento Momota (Indonesia Open), Malaysia's world No. 7 and All England champion Lee Zii Jia (French Open) and Chinese Taipei's world No. 4 Chou Tien-chen (Hylo Open). At these World Championships, he stunned Denmark's world No. 1 and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen 14-21, 21-9, 21-6 in the opening round, before easing past Austria's 93rd-ranked Luka Wraber 21-4, 21-8 in the second round. Another straightforward win against Kantaphon in just 30 minutes means Loh will be fresher in his bid to make history. MORE ON THIS TOPIC S'pore's Loh Kean Yew eases past Wraber to make World C'ships last-16[/paste:font] Badminton: S'pore's Loh Kean Yew stuns world No. 1 Axelsen at World Championships[/paste:font]
