Loh Kean Yew knows he can’t be impatient as he eyes Paris 2024 knockout stage

PARIS – Loh Kean Yew was in a rush.

The Paris 2024 badminton venue at Porte de la Chapelle had emptied at close to 10pm, and the Singaporean, fresh off an opening Group M win, could not wait to catch the official bus back to the Olympic Village.

Still, he had a minute for two local fans who waited an hour to meet him, for he knows time – no matter how long or short – can make a world of difference.

From being a fresh-faced underdog who crashed out of the group stage in his Olympic debut in 2021, Loh has come a long way.

Later that year, he rose to stardom by clinching a world championship crown. His number of Instagram followers has risen to 420,000.

The 27-year-old knows he is supposed to be in his sporting prime, should progress from his group, and this could be his best chance of winning a historic Olympic medal for his country.

The arena is packed, his parents are in the stands, he is ready with matching bag and shoes in French colours, the atmosphere is “electrifying”.

But he cannot be impatient.

And with calculated calm and composure, Loh beat Czech Republic’s 63rd-ranked Jan Louda 21-13, 21-10 on July 28.

While the scoreline suggests a comprehensive victory, the world No. 13 needed to find his footing after trailing 10-13 in the opening game.

He said: “I’ve never played him before so I needed some time to get used to it. The wind conditions were also surprisingly different from our many practice sessions.

“The sideway drift is much stronger and the front-and-back drift is the other way around now. I needed to adapt.”

After settling down, he won 11 straight points to take the first game.

There was another seven-point run to seal the match but Loh did not look like he was in a hurry, testing a variety of strategies to stretch leftie Louda front and back before finding winners through ferocious smashes and delicate net shots.

El Salvador’s 50th-ranked Uriel Canjura awaits on July 31 and another victory will mean a first appearance in the Olympic knockout round, but Loh cannot be complacent because one lapse could result in a four-year wait for another crack.

“I need to prepare myself to the fullest, I didn’t come here to underestimate anyone,” he said, adding that after training, he would spend time observing other matches to take note of the fickle drift.

Meanwhile, compatriots and mixed doubles world No. 17 Terry Hee and Jessica Tan concluded their maiden Olympic campaign with a 21-17, 21-12 win over world No. 30 Americans Vinson Chiu and Jennie Gai.

They finished third in Group D behind China’s world No. 2 Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping, and Malaysia’s ninth-ranked Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, who advanced to the quarter-finals.

While the Singaporean couple have had a decade of international competition exposure, nothing could have prepared them for the actual Olympic experience.

Admitting that they were overwhelmed by the occasion, Hee said the Olympics are “very, very different... because the first match is straight away the most important match”. 

He explained that there are easier opening ties at the quadrennial Asian and Commonwealth Games for them to ease into the competition, while the top world tour events present equally tough opponents but also more frequent opportunities.

Olympic appetite whetted, the 29-year-old is already thinking about qualifying for Los Angeles 2028, saying: “A big lesson from this outing is the importance of managing our emotions and expectations.

“We will still play on and we are not stopping any time soon.”

Tan, 31, added: “We wanted to win too badly, and we should have tried to enjoy the process more.

“Getting here is already a huge achievement for us. We shouldn’t let the losses define us and take away our identity, and our pride and joy in representing Singapore.”

In the women’s singles, world No. 20 Yeo Jia Min will play Mauritius’ 94th-ranked Kate Foo Kune on July 30 for a spot in the last 16 after both had beaten refugee Dorsa Yavarivafa in Group I.