I overcame myself: Loh Kean Yew in SEA Games badminton singles final after tough fight

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HANOI - Amid the chants of “Vietnam! Vietnam!” and the booming of drums and blasting of air horns, Loh Kean Yew found himself trailing for much of the deciding game in the SEA Games badminton singles semi-final on Saturday (May 21).

HANOI - Amid the chants of “Vietnam! Vietnam!” and the booming of drums and blasting of air horns, Loh Kean Yew found himself trailing for much of the deciding game in the SEA Games badminton singles semi-final on Saturday (May 21).

Several line calls had not gone his way as he sought to tame wily Vietnamese veteran Nguyen Tien Minh, 39, and the 24-year-old Singaporean cut a frustrated figure at the Bac Giang Gymnasium.

But he brushed the negativity aside and focused on each lob, smash, drop shot and eventually survived the full throttle of the home crowd to reach his second consecutive SEA Games final.

After his 21-15, 10-21, 23-21 win over world No. 69 Minh, the world champion said all he could think of was to keep hanging on.

“I’m very tired for sure but I’m happy to be in the final,” he said. 

“Today, I overcame myself. I was definitely affected by the crowd but I managed my feelings and focused on playing my game.

“Post-Covid, I haven’t been playing in such a loud atmosphere, so the environment was definitely a good one.”

He will meet Thai world No. 18 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who beat another Singaporean, world No. 88 Jason Teh, 21-11, 21-12.

“Tomorrow will be a tough match so I will have to do my best,” added Loh. “Both of us will go all out... but it’s more of the process, so I will focus more on that.”

The 2019 Games silver medallist was in fine form with his powerful smashes and quick movement early on, allowing him to dominate proceedings against former world No. 5 Minh in the first game.

But the home favourite then captured the second game courtesy of several unforced errors from Loh and his own improved showing. The decider was a tight affair with several calls going against Loh but he managed to pull through.

Loh Kean Yew was in spectacular form with his powerful smashes and quick movement early on. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH

On whether this was tougher than his World Championships final win over India’s Kidambi Srikanth, he said: “Every match has its own toughness and I’m glad I broke through today in terms of my own performance and progress. 

"I think I can work on (my consistency) more but I’m happy I broke through fitness-wise.”

World No. 10 Loh’s quest to become the first Singaporean to win the men’s singles title at the biennial Games since Wong Shoon Keat in 1983 has been aided by the absence of defending champion and world No. 6 Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia, and Indonesia’s fifth-ranked Anthony Ginting and world No. 8 and 2017 Games champion Jonatan Christie, who were not in their countries’ SEA Games squads.

Loh Kean Yew competes in the men’s singles badminton semi finals in Bac Giang, Vietnam, on May 21, 2022. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Singapore were involved in two other semi-finals yesterday, but like Teh, the doubles pairs had to settle for joint-bronzes.

In the women’s doubles, Nur Insyirah Khan and Bernice Lim lost to Indonesia’s Apriyani Rahayu and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti 21-10, 21-7.

World No. 50 men’s doubles duo Loh Kean Hean and Terry Hee fell to Indonesian top seeds Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob Rambitan 15-21, 21-17, 21-19.

Hee, 26, said it was a pity they lost the second game and was disappointed not to reach the final.

He said: “We put up a good fight... They just won the Asian Championships so to play such a close match with them, I’m quite satisfied.”

With five bronzes and at least a silver, the badminton team have surpassed their previous haul of one silver and two bronzes in 2019.

Kean Yew said: “It’s good progress compared to the last time and I think we’re going in the right direction. I hope to see this (happening more).” 

Besides the women’s doubles showpiece which will see Indonesians Apriyani and Siti Fadia face Thai sisters Nuntakarn and Benyapa Aimsaard, the remaining finals will be contested by players from the same nations.

The women’s singles is an all-Thai affair between Pornpawee Chochuwong and Phittayaporn Chaiwan while the men’s doubles will be contested by Indonesians Pramudya/ Yeremia Erich and Leo Rolly Carnando/Daniel Marthin.

Malaysians round up the gold-medal matches with their mixed doubles pairs Chen Tang Jie/Peck Yen Wei and Hoo Pang Ron/Cheah Yee See facing off.

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