Badminton: Singaporeans, sports community celebrate Loh Kean Yew's feat

SINGAPORE - Some years ago, national shuttler Grace Chua sat next to teammate Loh Kean Yew on a plane and caught a glimpse of his mobile phone's wallpaper.

It was a photo of his sporting goals in Chinese, one of which was to win an Olympic medal.

At the time, while she recognised his determination, she also thought it rather ambitious. But his recent run, including becoming world champion on Sunday night (Dec 19), has been nothing but inspiring.

Loh upset Indian world No. 14 Srikanth Kidambi 21-15, 22-20 in Huelva, Spain, to win the men's singles final at the World Championships.

Chua, 25, who has trained with Loh since they were teenagers, said: "This shows his true determination and dedication as an athlete... I hope his recent achievements have inspired aspiring shuttlers to be brave and pursue their sporting dreams."

Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) president Lawrence Leow said Loh's feat has brought much joy to the nation.

He added: "Kean Yew's athletic talent is without doubt. His best years are ahead of him. However, what is more valuable is his ability to stay focused, his resilience when the odds are stacked against him, his flexibility to improvise mid-game, and his consistency and fighting spirit throughout the games.

"He has really matured as an athlete. And he has proven to be an inspirational figure, not just to Singapore badminton but to other sports as well."

Indeed.

Former Singapore Slingers basketballer Ng Han Bin has been watching Loh's matches in recent tournaments, including staying up past 4am for the semi-final match.

Ng, 32, said: "It's exciting to see a fellow Singaporean breaking boundaries through his years of hard work and dedication.

"It was so exciting to the point that I need to calm myself down before being able to fall asleep.

"I always believe we are capable of performing on the world's stage and I'm proud of KY for showing us that it is indeed possible. Thank you for teaching us to dream big and always hold on to our dreams."

Diver Jonathan Chan, who watched the final with his family, agreed, adding: "He is the prime example of someone who loves his sport and puts in all the hard work. Anything is possible if you love it and work hard."

Three-time Olympic shooter Lee Wung Yew hailed Loh for his tenacity and self-belief, calling him the giant slayer.

Lee, 55, said: "The boy does not give up. It is his fighting spirit that made fans out of many of my kakis (pals).

"Someone like him comes about once in a long, long time - to say it is exciting is an understatement."

On Facebook, Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community Development and Youth, praised Loh for his "great work", writing: "Our World Champion. What a match! Such superb play, deft flicks and drops and such great mental fortitude."

Singapore National Olympic Council president Tan Chuan-Jin congratulated Loh, his coaching team, the SBA and the badminton community for the achievement.

He said: "I've been following Kean Yew's progress and he has been improving steadily.

"I wish him the best in his journey ahead, and hope to see him flying Singapore's flag high at the upcoming major Games and the 2024 Olympic Games. Stay grounded and keep working hard."

Another who noted Loh's progress since the Tokyo Olympics was former shuttler and two-time Olympian Derek Wong.

The 32-year-old said: "Kean Yew has matured a lot in his game play and built up well in his long rallies learning from the Tokyo Olympics. Not only that but he worked on converting his great defensive to offensive with master precision.

"Aspiring athletes must look towards Kean Yew as a role model and strive for the same kind of master level of play and compete at this world stage with the same kind of mentality, not forgetting the mountains of training and coping with performance ups and downs."

National player Jaslyn Hooi, who won the Polish Open in October, said she was happy for Loh, adding: "He put up a consistently high-level performance and managed to beat so many top players. It is exhilarating watching him play on court.

"All the blood, sweat and tears he has put in so far have been fruitful and I can only imagine how much more he can bring with that same amount of passion and grit."

On social media, members of the public also saluted Loh, with Facebook user Fred Fred writing that Loh made "all Singaporeans proud when the Majulah Singapura ... was played".

Mark Sim, also commenting on The Straits Times' post added: "You... won a championship which even the great lcw (Malaysian legend Lee Chong Wei) could not. And you did it on your first try. Amazing!!"