lohkeanyew Verified Hylo Open 2021 Very pleased to win my first BWF World Tour Super 500! The finals went down 19-21, 21-13, 17-12 with Lee Zii Jia retiring in the last set. My commiserations to @leeziijia and I wish him a speedy recovery. Today’s victory is not a solo effort for sure, this title belongs to everyone who have supported me in my career so far - thank you very much. My heartiest congratulations to my teammate @yeo_jiaminn for an impressive outing in her first Super 500 tournament too! Lastly, many thanks to the Hylo Open organisers and volunteers for the memorable experience in Saarbrucken, Germany. Danke, till next time, tschüss! Next stop Indonesia Masters 2021 : @badmintonphoto_official
Badminton: 10 things to know about Singapore's Loh Kean Yew who won the Hylo Open Loh Kean Yew won the Hylo Open men's singles final on Nov 8 after his opponent Lee Zii Jia conceded the match due to a back injury.PHOTO: LOHKEANYEW/INSTAGRAM PUBLISHED NOV 8, 2021, 9:10 AM SGT FACEBOOKTWITTER SINGAPORE - National badminton player Loh Kean Yew captured the biggest title of his career after his opponent in the US$320,000 (S$432,000) Hylo Open men's singles final on Sunday (Nov 8), Malaysia's world No. 8 Lee Zii Jia, retired. The 24-year-old Singaporean was leading 19-21, 21-13, 17-12 at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrucken, Germany when Lee, the All England champion, conceded the match after suffering a back injury. Loh has been making waves in recent weeks, conjuring up a string of upsets on his current European stint. Here's what you need to know about him: 1. Two titles since July In the four European tournaments he has taken part in since the Olympics in July, he has captured two titles, including Sunday's win at the Hylo Open. The first was at the US$15,000 (S$20,250) Oct 13-17 Dutch Open, where he upset India's world No. 21 Lakshya Sen, the top seed and defending champion, 21-12, 21-16 in the final. But Sunday's win is a far greater achievement, his first triumph at the Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 500 level, the fourth tier on the sport's professional circuit. 2. Most memorable moment came in 2019 Loh's most memorable achievement came in 2019 when, as an unheralded qualifier, he sensationally defeated Chinese great Lin Dan to claim the US$150,000 Princess Sirivannavari Thailand Masters in Bangkok. The Chinese, who retired in 2020 at the age of 37, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport. He is a two-time Olympic champion and five-time world champion. Loh Kean Yew trains six days or 30 hours a week, with double sessions on four days which include court, gym sessions and runs. PHOTO: LOHKEANYEW/INSTAGRAM 3. He was born in Malaysia Loh was born on June 26, 1997, in Penang, Malaysia, and is the youngest of four sons. His parents are still living in Penang. 4. Older brother also plays badminton His older brother Kean Hean, who also represents Singapore on the badminton circuit and is a doubles specialist, had arrived in Singapore in 2009, enrolling at Montfort Secondary School. 5. Kean Yew arrived in S'pore in 2010 Kean Yew arrived a year later at age 13 after receiving a scholarship from the Singapore Sports School. He was not thrilled about the transition initially. "When the time came for me to move here, I was angry because my friends were all in Malaysia. But my mother already bought the ticket to send me here, so what to do?," he told The Straits Times. "So slowly, I started to make friends and adapt to life here." 6. Badminton as a profession He quit his studies at Republic Polytechnic to pursue a professional career in badminton. 7. Honoured to wear the Singapore flag He and Kean Hean later became Singapore citizens, with Kean Yew saying: "I have had no regrets. After spending so many years training and developing in Singapore, I made many new friends and was ready to be a Singapore citizen, serve national service and represent this country. "I am honoured to wear the Singapore flag on my chest." But NS was not without its challenges and he noted that "sometimes my 'feel' will be gone'". Kean Hean later revealed that Kean Yew would rush to extra night training sessions after booking out from the army camp to train when he could. 8. Five SEA Games medals He owns five SEA Games medals. One individual silver from the 2019 edition, where he lost the final to Malaysia's Lee, and four bronzes: individual (2015), team (2015, 2017, 2019). MORE ON THIS TOPIC Badminton: Singapore's Loh claims Hylo Open title after Malaysian opponent Lee retires[/paste:font] Olympics: I want to create history in Tokyo with a medal, says S'pore shuttler Loh Kean Yew[/paste:font] 9. Hard work is non-negotiable In Loh's book, hard work is non-negotiable. He trains six days or 30 hours a week, with double sessions on four days which include court, gym sessions and runs. During competitions, he also devotes time analysing opponents, trying to find weaknesses to exploit. He explained: "There are players in the top 10 who don't have much talent but are there because they have discipline, grit and consistency; there are other more talented players who are not there for various reasons. There are too many good players out there regardless of their rankings and I cannot be complacent." 10. Social media followers He has over 70,000 followers on Instagram and over 5,600 followers on Facebook.
Shuttler Loh Kean Yew claims biggest career win at Hylo Open in Germany Shuttler Loh Kean Yew claims biggest career win in Germany (yahoo.com) Chia Han Keong ·Editor Mon, November 8, 2021, 8:15 AM·2 min read Singapore national shuttler Loh Kean Yew in action, (PHOTO: Shi Tang/Getty Images) SINGAPORE — Singapore's national shuttler Loh Kean Yew clinch the biggest badminton title of his career on Sunday (7 November), when he defeated reigning All-England champion Lee Zii Jia at the Hylo Open men's singles final in Saarbrucken, Germany. The 24-year-old was leading 19-21, 21-13, 17-12 when his Malaysian opponent conceded the tie after suffering a back injury. Loh thus earned his second professional title, and his first in the Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 500 level, which is the fourth tier on the professional badminton circuit. In 2019, he had won the Thailand Masters - a Super 300 tournament - for his first title, memorably beating Chinese great Lin Dan. The world No.39 has had a stellar week, beating a slew of higher-ranked opponents en route to winning the title. First he stunned Taiwanese world No.4 Chou Tien-chen in his opening round, then took the scalps of France’s world No.35 Toma Junior Popov, Denmark’s world No.13 Rasmus Gemke and India’s world No.21 Lakshya Sen, before beating world No.8 Lee for the title. "This is a good milestone for my career and I will continue working hard to make sure there is more to come," Loh told The Straits Times after his win. "It's good to be beating high-ranking opponents consistently and this was what I needed to develop. The next step would be to perform consistently well over a few tournaments." Yeo Jia Min falls in final to higher-ranked Thai opponent Loh's fellow national shuttler Yeo Jia Min, however, could not make it a double celebration at the Hylo Open, as the world No.26 came up short in the women's singles final, losing 10-21, 14-21 to Thailand's world No.14 Busanan Ongbamrungphan. Yeo also had a good run in reaching her first Super 500 final, beating Taiwan's world No.39 Pai Yu-po, Indonesia's world No.23 Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, Belgium's world No.38 Lianne Tan and Canada's world No.11 Michelle Li along the way.
Badminton: S'porean Loh Kean Yew emerges as men's singles champion in Germany Badminton: S'porean Loh Kean Yew emerges as men's singles champion in Germany - Mothership.SG - News from Singapore, Asia and around the world He beat five players ranked higher in the world rankings than him. Belmont Lay | November 08, 2021, 05:15 AM Singaporean Loh Kean Yew has come out tops in Germany after he defeated Malaysian Lee Zii Jia, who had to retire in the men's singles final, with Loh leading 19-21, 21-13,17-12. The 24-year-old Singaporean badminton player, ranked 39th in the world, beat the Malaysian, ranked eighth in the world, to win his first career Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 500 title on Sunday, Nov. 7. In October's French Open, Loh had also beaten Lee, and did so in straight games in the opening round of that tournament. Lee was seeded second in the men's singles at the US$320,000 (S$431,000) Hylo Open tournament in Saarbrucken, Germany. Tough match The match between the two, who are childhood rivals back in Malaysia, was a fierce back and forth contest, which Loh came out tops after many hard earned points. In the final game, the Malaysian was forced to retire after picking up a back injury. Loh was leading at that point. via Had to beat players ranked higher than him Loh won US$24,000 (S$32,400) in prize money and 9,200 ranking points. To be the champion in Germany, Loh had to defeat four other players ranked higher than him in the world rankings. Loh beat Chou Tien-chen (Taiwanese world No. 4), Toma Junior Popov (France world No. 35), Rasmus Gemke (Denmark world No. 13) and Lakshya Sen (India world No. 21).
Next target is to beat momota, viktor, ginting or syq. No longer impossible. Just have to be stable with footwork, great defence and grind the opponents. No need brute force smash. 80% for accuracy and get ready for the next shot.
Malaysian newspaper laments loss of badminton talent to Singapore after Penang-born Loh Kean Yew's title win Malaysian newspaper laments loss of badminton talent to Singapore after Penang-born Loh Kean Yew's title win - TODAY (todayonline.com) Singapore Badminton Association via Facebook Loh Kean Yew (left), 24, and Yeo Jia Min, 22, are Singapore’s top male and female badminton players. Loh and Yeo are ranked No 39 and 26 in the world, respectively. By BRYAN NG Published NOVEMBER 09, 2021 Updated NOVEMBER 09, 2021 SINGAPORE — After Singaporean shuttler Loh Kean Yew won his first career BWF World Tour Super 500 title on Sunday (Nov 7), beating his higher-ranked Malaysian opponent in the process, a Malaysian newspaper has lamented the loss of badminton talent to Singapore in recent years. In an article headlined “Penang-born makes Singapore proud”, the New Straits Times (NST) pointed out that apart from Loh, another athlete Yeo Jia Min also has links to Malaysia, where her parents were born. Yeo was defeated in the women’s singles final of the same competition on Sunday. Loh, 24, and Yeo, 22, are Singapore’s top male and female badminton players. Loh and Yeo are ranked No 39 and 26 in the world, respectively. On Sunday, Loh beat Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia in the Hylo Open men's singles final. Lee, who is ranked eighth in the world, retired from the match with Loh leading 19-21, 21-13,17-12. Earlier in the day, in the women's singles finals, Yeo was beaten 21-10, 21-14 by Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan, who is ranked world number 14. The NST article wrote: “Singaporeans are over the moon with the success of their trailblazing men's singles ace, but not many are aware that Kean Yew could have very well represented Malaysia. "This is because he was born in Penang, and is a product of the Penang (Badminton Association).” Loh was born in Penang. In 2009, his older brother Kean Hean moved to Singapore. A year later, Loh Kean Yew followed suit at the age of 13, after being offered a scholarship by the Singapore Sports School. He has since gone on to obtain his Singapore citizenship, serve National Service and represent Singapore in the international arena. The NST article, which was published on Tuesday, noted that Loh Kean Hean, 26, also plays for the Singapore national team as a doubles player, and he won the Dutch Open doubles title last month partnering another Penang-born player Terry Hee, 26. In 2017, Loh Kean Yew spoke about his decision to play for Singapore, following his defeat to Malaysia's Soong Joo Ven in three sets in the men's team event semi-final at the 2017 Kuala Lumpur Sea Games. "I do not regret this decision. (Singapore has) given me all the support I needed since I continued my studies there when I was 13," he said. "I don't deny that my coach in Malaysia had taken care of me and developed my skills; however, I have long studied and adapted to life in Singapore.” The NST article quoted an unidentified source “close to the Badminton Association of Malaysia” who claimed that the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) joins "our tournaments during the holidays” to scout for potential players. "It's not a wrong practice but they would try to entice the parents first,” the source added. The NST article also claimed that Singapore shifted its focus to players from Malaysia and Indonesia, after initially “naturalising players from China”. TODAY has reached out to SBA for comment s
Badminton: S'pore's Loh Kean Yew, Yeo Jia Min move up in latest world rankings Loh Kean Yew (left) and Yeo Jia Min have improved their world rankings.PHOTOS: BADMINTON PHOTO, KUA CHEE SIONG David Lee PUBLISHED NOV 9, 2021, 4:21 PM SGT FACEBOOKTWITTER SINGAPORE - On the back of their strong performances at the Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 500 Hylo Open last week, Singaporeans Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min have improved their world rankings. In the latest listing released on Tuesday (Nov 9), Loh climbed eight places to No. 31 after winning the men's singles title in Germany. Yeo moved up six spots to 20th, the highest in her career. Loh was as high as No. 27 in 2019. The 24-year-old said: "I'm happy that I'm one step closer to being in top 30 once again. "A higher ranking is important for me to get more favourable draws in bigger tournaments. Moving forward, I will work hard to be produce more consistent performances and results. "Step by step, I hope to break into the top 30, top 20 and top 10." Yeo, 22, added: "I'm happy to improve my ranking to make the top 20. I'll have one week to recover physically and improve my game to challenge the top players again in Indonesia." The duo return to Asia for the Nov 16-21 Indonesia Masters and Nov 23-28 Indonesia Open.
Have they tried Taiwan and Hong Kong? They do offer academic scholarships to secondary school students to study in Singapore. I have friends in HK who have studied at secondary school in Singapore. They tell me some stay in Singapore.
It was not reported, but I won't be surprised if they did. However, they seek teens who are able to adjust to the local situation and those who understand English, Mandarin or Malay will be much preferred as the coaches come mainly from different language speaking countries - from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and locally. Reports of homesickness were common and some teens were unable to assimilate and returned home. However, more local parents are more prepared to send their talented children to the Singapore Sports School now. But our talent base is rather small. I guess parents are more assured that the SSS also provides its students with academic studies up to "O" or IB level at least, and students can pursue from there to take up diploma courses from the various Polytechnics. The more ambitious and able graduates can go on for a degree course locally or from overseas.
Singapore's Loh Kean Yew not getting carried away with Hylo Open win, says he still has more to prove Singapore's Loh Kean Yew not getting carried away with Hylo Open win, says he still has more to prove - CNA (channelnewsasia.com) Singapore's Loh Kean Yew poses with the medal after winning the Hylo Open on Nov 7, 2021. (Photo: Badminton Photo via Facebook/Singapore Badminton Association) Matthew Mohan @MatthewMohanCNA 10 Nov 2021 06:15AM(Updated: 10 Nov 2021 10:33AM) Bookmark WhatsAppTelegramFacebookTwitterEmailLinkedIn SINGAPORE: His knuckle is bleeding, his knees are bruised and he is down a game against a higher-ranked opponent. But these are the moments that Singapore badminton player Loh Kean Yew lives for. The 24-year-old loves to be the underdog. In fact, he absolutely relishes it. To be precise, the word is “shiok” (pleasing), he told CNA. “Playing higher-ranked opponents is more shiok. It’s always good to upset (others),” said Loh, following his first career BWF World Tour Super 500 title at the Hylo Open on Sunday (Nov 7). “Being the underdog is always better because there are no expectations.” No expectations, no fear, no holds barred badminton. This is where he thrives. “The pressure is on them, not me,” he explained simply. And throughout the US$320,000 (S$431,000) tournament in Saarbrucken, Germany, Loh – then ranked 39th in the world – claimed scalp after scalp with smash after smash. First, he shocked world number 4 Chou Tien-chen, and then beat world number 35 Toma Junior Popov. In the quarter-finals, Loh edged past Dane Rasmus Gemke in three games. A familiar face awaited him in the semi-finals in the form of India’s Lakshya Sen. Loh beat the world number 21, exacting some revenge for a French Open elimination the week before in the hands of Sen. Awaiting him in the finals was world number 8 Lee Zii Jia. Loh had recently beat Lee, the All-England champion, in straight games in the opening round of the French Open last month. A big name opponent. Down 19-21 in the first game against Lee, Loh was up against it. “The first game is always a crucial one, and losing the first game definitely affected me a bit. But at that time, I didn’t really think about anything else. I can’t remember much but I knew that I wanted to keep going,” he said. He pulled off a number of brilliant defensive returns to thwart his Malaysian opponent, and more significantly, turned them into rapid replies of his own. Take for instance, his backhand smash when down 11-12 – a shot so precise it left Lee sprawled on the court and the commentators raving. This ability to absorb pressure was finessed through sweat-drenched sessions in Dubai with Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen in September, said Loh. “When you play with Axelsen, you’ll need to work on your defence. His attacks are so strong that if you want to play with him, you’ve got to take his attacks.” Lee eventually retired in the third game, with Loh leading 17-12. “Whether I won this title or not, the thing I am happy about is being able to overcome what I couldn't do last week,” said Loh. “Last week was a lesson (elimination from French Open) and this week it was a must that I learnt from it. “(At the French Open), I upset Zii Jia (in the opening round) and then I lost the next game. That’s what I didn’t want. This time, after I upset Chou Tien-chen, I continued to perform throughout the tournament. This is what I want.” Related: From fanboy to beating the favourite: Singapore's badminton sensation is just getting started Loh was not the only one who made the finals of the Hylo Open, with compatriot Yeo Jia Min finishing runner-up in the women’s singles event. This was the first BWF World Tour Super 500 finals that both Singaporeans have qualified for. Describing it as a “breakthrough”, Loh said he hoped it would grow more interest in the sport locally and show Singaporeans that playing badminton for a living is not an impossible dream. Loh said: “It’s not just about the prize money and all. It’s also the honour of representing Singapore.” As of the latest rankings on Tuesday, Loh jumped eight spots to 31st in the world. He will next compete in the Indonesia Masters and Indonesia Open later this month. He is not getting carried away after the win in Germany. “This is only one tournament, it is important to do this every tournament,” Loh said. He was keen to point out that the likes of Viktor Axelsen and Kento Momota did not participate in the Hylo Open. “A win is a win but not all the big names are here, only a few,” he said. “(At) this tournament, the big names didn’t come so I didn’t prove myself enough ... It’s not a tournament where everybody is there and you win it, like for example, the Olympics.” The Hylo Open win is a reminder that the Singaporean, who won the Dutch Open last month, can mix it with the best. And as he tries to climb up the rankings, Loh faces an arguably bigger challenge – being consistent. “To be consistent means to perform at every match to a certain level,” he said. “It’s like a bowler trying to hit a strike every time – they have trained so many years to do so. It’s only at that point of time how they think and all that affects their play ... It is mostly mental.” Should he continue on this trajectory, there is a possibility that Loh might one day become the one to beat. But for now, the Singaporean is still the underdog. And he doesn't mind one bit. Source: CNA/mt
Forum: Shuttlers' sports glory an inspiration Forum: Shuttlers' sports glory an inspiration, Forum News & Top Stories - The Straits Times PUBLISHED 10 HOURS AGO FACEBOOKTWITTER Congratulations to badminton player Loh Kean Yew for his win and astounding performances at the just-ended Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 500. His ranking of 39th in the world did not deter him, and he confidently beat much higher-ranked opponents. He is an inspiration to many young Singaporeans and, at 24, has a bright future ahead. In him, Singapore has another world badminton star in the making in the likes of the late Wong Peng Soon. Kudos too to Yeo Jia Min for coming in second in the same championship in the women's singles finals. Singapore is proud of both of them. Jeff Tan Hong Liak
This is a good move to provide a backup plan for students and parents should they not or retire from the life of a sportsman. The world is changing and there are fewer and fewer who would just give up on their studies at 14 years old to be sportsmen. It’s purely speculative but if Goh Jin Wei had signed for Singapore Sports School, her potential academic qualifications would have provided a good safety net for retirement at 21 years old.
Another issue is the National Service which is compulsory and can impede their progress. As for GJW, perhaps her medical condition could be better managed and her career prolonged.
@Cheung , This is the time, we need to move this "Singapore Badminton Scene" thread to Professional Players' Main thread. Singapore player already won a Super 500 title and many more to come from them. So, I kindly request you to move this thread . This will make it easy for members as well.
At that time, we were really looking forward to GJW joining our SSS. But things did not turn out and we missed her talent and the opportunity for our local girls to spar with her. We were also sad that our most talented girl from China should leave Singapore for the US.
ZBW is one of my favourite player. Another one is Michelle Li but she lost to YJM. I didn't know who to cheer.
I feel ZBW could be developed as a world-beater if she had the discipline and ambition of our current LKY. But though she did not attend our SSS, she benefitted from the largely English-speaking community that she had to mix with. This must have helped her settle more easily in the US after her stay in Singapore.
ZBW is already a better “world-beater” than LKY. [Courtesy- achievement section of the wiki pages of both the athletes] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
