Loh Kean Yew off to good start, beats Lakshya Sen at Badminton Asia Championships He negotiates potentially-tricky opponent who had beaten him twice last year to reach round of 16 in Dubai Chia Han Keong ·Editor Wed, 26 April 2023 at 5:43 pm SGT·3-min read Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew in action at the All England Badminton Championships in March 2023. (PHOTO: Shi Tang/Getty Images) SINGAPORE — Singapore's former world champion Loh Kean Yew got off to an ideal start at the Badminton Asia Championships on Tuesday (26 April), safely negotiating a tricky round-of-32 tie in Dubai. The 25-year-old began strongly and finished with a flourish as he ousted India's Lakshya Sen 21-7, 23-21 in 37 minutes to set up a last-16 tie with either Jordan's Bahaedeen Ahmad Alshannik or the Maldives' Hussein Zayan Shaheed Zaki. Loh, who is currently ranked world No.7, had lost his previous two matches to Sen - at the India Open final in January 2022, and then at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022. Perhaps the losses were on his mind when he began the match aggressively, swiftly carving out a 12-2 lead and taking the first game before Sen could get a foothold on the match. Stung by the setback, the Indian world No.24 began the second game much more steadily, maintaining a two- or three-point lead over Low as they traded points. Low, however, patiently chipped away at the deficit, finally breaking a 21-all tie with two straight points for the win. Loh is in the top half of the men's singles draw, which saw top-seeded Indonesian Jonatan Christie conceding a walkover for his opening tie with China's Shi Yuqi after suffering an infection. Only taking part in team competition at SEA Games Loh and the other Singapore national shuttlers are taking part in this tournament, before heading to Cambodia for next month's SEA Games. However, he is set to only take part in the team competition from 8 to 11 May, eschewing the singles event as he will lead the Singapore team to the more prestigious Sudirman Cup in Suzhou, which begins on 14 May, in the middle of the SEA Games. Instead, it will be the less-experience national shuttlers such as Joel Koh, Insyirah Khan and former top junior doubles pair Johann Prajogo and Nge Joo Jie who will take part in the individual events at the Games. Yeo Jia Min, Singapore's top women's shuttler, exited the Badminton Asia Championships after falling 17-21, 18-21 to Taiwan's former world No.1 Tai Tzu-ying in the opening round of 32. There was better news for Commonwealth Games gold medallists Terry Hee and Jessica Tan, as the mixed. doubles pair advanced into the round of 16 after defeating Taiwan's Lee Jhe-huei and Hsu Ya-ching 21-14, 21-16 on Tuesday. However they have a daunting tie next, against top-seeded China pair Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong.
Loh Kean Yew marches on comfortably at Badminton Asia Championships World No.7 easily subdues Jordan opponent to set up quarter-final tie with Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu Chia Han Keong ·Editor Thu, April 27, 2023 at 5:38 PM GMT+8·2 min read Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew in action at the All England Badminton Championships in March 2023. (PHOTO: Shi Tang/Getty Images) SINGAPORE — Former badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew took another assured step forward at the Badminton Asia Championships on Thursday (27 April), comfortably easing past his round-of-16 opponent in Dubai. The current world No.7 took 30 minutes to dispatch Jordan's world No.102 Bahaedeen Ahmad Alshannik 21-14, 21-14 to march into the quarter-finals with little trouble. The gulf in talent was evident as Loh took control early, scoring 12 consecutive points to sweep to a 13-3 lead before taking the first game. The second game saw Alshannik trading leads with Loh at the start, but the Singaporean shifted up a gear at 6-8 down, catching up at 10-all before taking the lead for good to clinch the match. Loh thus matches his 2022 showing in the same competition, as he also reached the quarter-finals in Manila before losing to Indonesia's Jonatan Christie. The 25-year-old will face Hong Kong's world No.20 Lee Cheuk Yiu, who scored an upset 21-18, 21-18 over China's world No.10 Shi Yuqi, the runner-up in last month's All England Championships. Loh has never beaten Lee in their three previous encounters, most recently at last year's Malaysia Open. On Wednesday, he had defeated India's Lakshya Sen in his opening-round tie. Loh is the only Singaporean remaining in the championships, after mixed doubles duo Terry Hee and Jessica Tan exited their competition earlier on Thursday. The Commonwealth Games gold medallists faced the top-seeded pair of Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong, and were no match for the Chinese duo, as they succumbed 13-21, 9-21 in just 27 minutes.
Badminton at SEA Games 2023: Full schedule and where to watch live Former world champion Loh Kean Yew is the top name in action in the badminton competition at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games taking place in Cambodia from 5-17 May. 3 min By ZK Goh 02 May 2023 00:14 GMT+8 (Picture by 2022 Getty Images) Badminton, one of Southeast Asia's most popular sports, will once more be on show at the Southeast Asian Games 2023, scheduled from 5–17 May in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with eight medals on offer. The badminton programme at SEA Games 2023 will feature eight events: men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles, women's doubles, mixed doubles, men's team, women's team, and mixed team. The event takes place across nine days – Monday 8 to Tuesday 16 May at the Morodok Techo National Stadium in Phnom Penh. However, the competition clashes with the BWF Sudirman Cup – the world mixed team championships - which starts in Suzhou, People's Republic of China on 14 May. Therefore, many big names are skipping the SEA Games tournament to focus on the Sudirman Cup. The biggest name in action is the 2021 men's singles world champion Loh Kean Yew who will only play in the men's team event for Singapore. That competition ends on 11 May, allowing him sufficient time to travel to Suzhou after. The individual events will therefore feature many up-and-coming players for the bigger nations such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand, who will be focusing on the Sudirman Cup. 5 - 18 May 2023 Southeast Asian Games | Phnom Penh - Cambodia SEA Games 2023 badminton: Full schedule and live start times All times in Indochina Time (ICT) Venue: Morodok Techo National Stadium Monday 8 May 09:00 Women's team preliminaries Mixed team preliminaries 15:00 Men's team preliminaries Tuesday 9 May 09:00 Women's team quarter-finals Mixed team semi-finals 15:00 Men's team quarter-finals Wednesday 10 May 09:00 Women's team semi-finals Mixed team final 15:30 Men's team semi-finals Thursday 11 May 10:00 Women's team final 15:00 Men's team final Friday 12 May 09:00 Men's singles round of 32 Men's doubles round of 32 Women's singles round of 32 Women's doubles round of 32 Saturday 13 May 09:00 Men's singles round of 16 Men's doubles round of 16 Women's singles round of 16 Women's doubles round of 16 Mixed doubles round of 32 Sunday 14 May 09:00 Men's singles quarter-finals Men's doubles quarter-finals Women's singles quarter-finals Women's doubles quarter-finals Mixed doubles round of 16 Monday 15 May 13:00 Men's singles semi-finals Men's doubles semi-finals Women's singles semi-finals Women's doubles semi-finals Mixed doubles quarter-finals Tuesday 16 May 12:00 Men's singles final Men's doubles final Women's singles final Women's doubles final Mixed doubles semi-finals and final Where to watch badminton matches at the Southeast Asian Games 2023 live The host broadcaster in Cambodia is Cambodia Sports Television (CSTV). The SEA Games in Singapore will be available to watch on their dedicated mewatch channels. In Thailand, SEA Games coverage is via the TV Pool 3HD, 5HD, 7HD, MCOT HD, NBT2HD, GMM25, PPTV HD and T Sports.
Singapore Badminton Open a smash hit with sponsors | The Straits Times With the June 6-11 tournament upgraded from a Badminton World Federation World Tour Super 500 series event to Super 750 – which guarantees the participation of the top 15 singles players and top 10 doubles pairs – the Karim Family Foundation has come on board as title sponsor, while JK Technology will continue as its presenting sponsor. Both deals are initially for a year and worth a total of several hundred thousand dollars.
Singapore badminton gets $1.1 million boost from sponsors (From left) Singapore Badminton Association chief executive officer Alan Ow, SBA deputy president Hamid Khan, Karim Family Foundation principal Cindy Karim, JK Technology managing director Eugene Ang and Singapore Badminton Open organising committee chairman Bryan Long. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY Ervin Ang UPDATED MAY 2, 2023, 11:48 PM SGT SINGAPORE – The race to the Paris Olympics kicked off on Monday, with Singapore’s badminton players expecting a busy season that includes the May 5-17 SEA Games, Sudirman Cup (May 14 to 21), Singapore Badminton Open (June 6 to 11), Asian Games (Sept 23 to Oct 8) and tournaments on the Badminton World Federation World Tour. The Singapore team have received a timely boost in their push for crucial ranking points with two major sponsors pledging a total of $1.1 million in financial backing. Singapore Open title sponsor Karim Family Foundation (KFF) has committed $600,000 over three years to support existing performance pathways in training and competitions for national athletes. The tournament’s presenting sponsor JK Technology, an information technology solution-sourcing centre, has pledged $500,000 to kickstart the Singapore Badminton Association’s (SBA) new post-career gratuity programme. The support from both sponsors will take the total amount of funds to $2.7 million as KFF’s contribution is eligible for the Government’s One Team Singapore Fund, which provides a one-for-one matching grant for donations that help national athletes. In addition, SBA will top up $1 million to supplement JK Technology’s $500,000 commitment. KFF, set up by the family of Indonesian businessman Bachtiar Karim and his wife Dewi Sukwanto, is dedicated to philanthropy with a focus on sports development, arts and culture, mental health, and education. Its principal Cindy Karim said: “We believe in the ability of sports to uplift our nation and investing in players is a crucial step towards building a strong and sustainable future for badminton in Singapore. “We hope to reduce the financial worry that many sportsmen and sportswomen in Singapore have as they chase their dreams by giving them the required support, enabling opportunities for them to compete at the highest level and bring glory to Singapore on the world stage.” KFF’s cash sponsorship will be used to fund SBA’s six-tiered podium programme, which currently helps 38 national athletes and more junior players with their overseas expenses when they compete internationally. Costs for each athlete for a two-week event can come up to between $2,000 and $5,000. There are currently eight tier 1 athletes – those who have progressed to the quarter-finals of Super 500 tournaments – who are fully funded by the SBA. With the sponsorship, nine co-funded athletes between tiers two and four can now be fully funded for more tournaments depending on their performance trajectory, which is based on the coaches’ assessment. Twenty-one self-funded athletes from tiers five and six may also be considered for co-funding. National player Insyirah Khan, who is 21 and ranked 75th in the women’s singles, said: “Definitely the additional funds will help us younger players with more opportunities to go for more overseas competitions. “Despite the existing tournament support, many of us still had to either self-fund or co-fund to go for additional competitions. There were also occasions where we had to forgo some competitions as we didn’t have the financial resources.” JK Technology’s $500,000 commitment and SBA’s pledge of $1 million will go towards supporting the post-career gratuity programme which aims to provide financial security to national players post-retirement. The amount is pegged to an athlete’s highest world ranking and the amount of time they represented Singapore, with payouts ranging from $16,000 to $100,000. JK Technology managing director Eugene Ang said: “This is a very important initiative because one of the reasons we have identified why players have dropped out and are not considering their full career development is that they worry about not having the financial means when they eventually end their playing careers. “With this fund, players can play badminton with peace of mind, to focus and excel in the game.” One of the likely beneficiaries of the programme is 28-year-old Loh Kean Hean, who said: “I’m really glad because I didn’t expect this kind of thing. This gratuity programme has helped me to plan ahead. “With this sum of money, it can kickstart my future plans like buying a house and settling down.” SBA chief executive officer Alan Ow said: “This is a significant step towards achieving our goals of building a sustainable and thriving badminton ecosystem in Singapore. We look forward to working closely with our partners to create opportunities for our players to excel internationally.” MORE ON THIS TOPIC Singapore Badminton Open a smash hit with sponsors Badminton: World’s best players to play in Singapore Open in race to Paris 2024
S’pore’s Loh Kean Yew Rises To 4th In World Badminton Ranking After Asian Championships LATEST NEWS He is also the first Singaporean to advance into the finals of the Badminton Asia Championships. By Valerie Yuam - 2 May 2023, 5:04 pm Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew Now 4th In The World Singapore’s badminton superstar Loh Kean Yew and 2021 world champion now ranks fourth in the whole world. This comes after his recent performance at the Badminton Asia Championships 2023. According to the Badminton World Federation (BWF)’s latest rankings, Loh stands at number four in the Men’s Singles category as of Tuesday (2 May). Impressively, he climbed three spots since last week’s ranking on 25 Apr. The world’s foremost players in front of Loh are Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, and Japan’s Kodai Naraoka. Ginting had defeated Loh to clinch the Badminton Asia Championships. Loh Kean Yew rises to 4th in world rankings after becoming first Singaporean in Asia Championship finals On Tuesday (2 May), the BWF released the updated rankings of competitive badminton players from across the world. Source: BWF Shortly before the placements were announced, Singaporean badminton player Loh Kean Yew lost in the finals of the championships to Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of neighbouring Indonesia on Sunday (30 Apr). Source: Mediacorp Entertainment on YouTube However, Loh still made history as the first Singaporean player to advance to the finals. In the semifinals, he defeated China’s Lu Guangzu on Saturday (29 Apr) by 21-19 in the first set and 21-15 in the second, according to Channel NewsAsia (CNA). Prior to that, Loh had beaten Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu during the quarter-finals. Loh’s highest rank ever is #3, which he achieved in Nov 2022. Team Singapore progressed in placements for Men & Women’s Doubles In terms of Singapore’s performance in other categories, Yeo Jia Min slipped two places in the Women’s Singles category. This week, she placed number 34 on the BWF ranking. On the other hand, our Mixed Doubles representatives Hee Yong Kai Terry and Tan Wei Han Jessica placed 26th this week. They dropped by one place, from last week’s 25th spot. Andy Quek and Loh Kean Hean’s performances in the Men’s Doubles were notable as well, as they rose 16 places to 86th. Source: BWF As for Women’s Doubles, Jin Yu Jia and Wong Jia Ying Crystal set a new career high and now place 20th in the world. Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com. Featured image adapted from meWatch.
Sudirman Cup 2023: Indonesia, Malaysia, China, and Singapore announce squads ByM Sudharshan May 2 2023| 0 The heavyweights have revealed who makes the cut for the tournament. The Sudirman Cup 2023 is set to be held from May 14 to May 21, 2023 in Suzhou China. A total of 16 countries are set to take part in the 18th edition of the mixed team championship. Initially, New Delhi was awarded the hosting of the championship back in November 2018 but in July 2021, it was announced that Suzhou, the original host for 2021 edition, will host this edition instead and India accepted the offer to host 2026 BWF World Championships in exchange. The 16 teams are divided into four groups and each group consists of four teams. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals. China being the host, qualified directly to the tournament whereas other countries had to battle in their respective continental events and book a spot. The teams which did not qualify via the continental championships got through via their superior World Rankings. The squad for the Sudirman Cup 2023 had been announced shortly. Let’s take a look at the squads separately. Squad China Men’s – Shi Yuqi, Li Shifeng, Lu Guangzu, Feng Yanzhe, Laing Weikeng, Liu Yuchen, Wang Chang, Zheng Siwei, and Ou Xuanyi Women’s – Chen Yufei, He Bingjiao, Wang Zhiyi, Chen Qingchen, Jia Yifan, Zheng Yu, Zhang Shuxian, Liu Shengshu, Tan Ning, Huang Yaqiong, and Huang Dongping Denmark Men’s – Anders Antonsen, Kim Astrup, Viktor Axelsen, Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, Mathias Christiansen, Rasmus Gemke, Frederik Sogaard, and Mathias Thyrri. Women’s – Mia Blichfeldt, Alexandra Boje, Line Christophersen, Maiken Fruergaard, Amalie Magelund, Sara Thygesen, and Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt. Singapore Men’s – Loh Kean Yew, Loh Kean Hean, Yong Kai Terry, Jun Liang Andy, and Jia Heng Jason Women’s – Hui Zhen Grace, Yu Jia Jin, Wei Han Jessica, Jia Ying Crystal, and Jia Min Yeo. Indian Sports Live Coverage on Khel Now Sumit Nagal clinches Rome ATP Challenger title, India’s first on European clay Badminton Asia Championships 2023: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinch maiden doubles title Asian Games 2022: List of Indian athletes to have secured qualification Who after Neeraj Chopra? Top five exciting Indian prospects to cross 80m mark in javelin throw Badminton: Why doubles event is India’s best medal hope at Paris Olympics 2024? Indonesia Men’s – Fajar Alfian, Muhammad Rian Ardianto, Leo Rolly Carnando, Jonatan Christie, Dejan Ferdinansyah, Marcus Fernaldi Gideon, Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, Daniel Marthin, Rinov Rivaldy, Adnan Maulana, and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo. Women’s – Nita Violina Marwah,Lanny Tria Mayasari, Pitha Mentari, Apriyani Rahayu, Fadia Silva Ramadhanti,Ribka Sugiarto, Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, Putri Kusuma Wardani, and Gloria Widjaja. Malaysia Men’s – Chen Tang Jie, Aaron Chia, Soh Wooi Yik, Ong Yew Sin, Teo Ee Yi, Lee Zii Jia, Ng Tze Yong, Goh Soon Huat, Tan Kian Meng, and Hoo Pang Ron Women’s – Pearly Tan, Thinaah Muralitharan, Go Pei Kee, Valeree Siow, Goh Jin Wei, Letshanaa Karupathevan, Shevon Jamie Lai, Lai Pei Jing, Toh Ee Wei, and Teoh Mei Xing. India had earlier named a 16-member strong contingent for the tournament. For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and join our community on Telegram.
SEA Games 2023: Singapore’s badminton teams qualify for semi-finals Loh Kean Yew eased past Jewel Angelo Albo 21-14, 21-13 in the first singles as Singapore beat the Philippines 3-1 to reach the semi-finals. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED 9 HOURS AGO PHNOM PENH – Singapore are through to the SEA Games badminton men’s and women’s teams semi-finals, and are assured of at least two joint bronzes. In the quarter-finals on Monday, the men’s team beat the Philippines 3-1 to set up a semi-final with Indonesia on Wednesday. Loh Kean Yew eased past Jewel Angelo Albo 21-14, 21-13 in the first singles, but Loh Kean Hean and Andy Kwek lost the first doubles 21-14, 21-15 to Christian Bernado and Alvin Morada. Jason Teh then tamed Lance Gabriel Vargas 21-11, 21-11, before first-time partners Terry Hee and Nge Joo Jie overcame Solomon Padiz Jr and Julius Villabrille 13-21, 21-19, 21-18. Hee, who used to pair up with Kean Hean before focusing on the mixed doubles with his wife Jessica Tan, said: “Today’s line-up was what the coaches felt was best for the team to win the match. “There is pressure on us, and it’s the same for our opponents. But we believed we would win and it was important we never gave up. We are very happy to contribute the winning point.” In their 3-0 women’s quarter-final victory over Vietnam, Yeo Jia Min beat Nguyen Thuy Linh 22-20, 21-18, before Insyirah Khan came from behind to down Vu Thi Trang 21-16, 13-21, 22-20. Khan said: “It felt surreal on court, and I’m happy to contribute a win. The key was to keep believing in myself, which was what my coach told me, and in the end I managed to overcome the difficulties to win.” Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong then sealed victory with a 21-14, 21-19 win over Dinh Thi Phuong Hong and Pham Thi Khanh, setting up a Wednesday semi-final showdown with title holders Thailand. Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew said: “While the men’s singles were comfortable wins, the men’s doubles and women’s matches were tough and close. “Insyirah showed real character, while Jia Min and the women’s doubles kept to their task well. For the men, the Filipino top pair are strong, so we made changes to strengthen our second doubles. “It was all about the overall win, and our players got the job done. The semi-finals will be difficult matches, but we still have a chance.”
SEA Games 2023: Singapore lose badminton team semis, retain men’s and women’s bronze medals Loh Kean Yew lost 10-21, 21-7, 24-22 against Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo from Indonesia. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED MAY 10, 2023, 10:02 PM SGT PHNOM PENH – Amid the cacophony of clappers, kompang drums, air horns, tambourines and whistles inside the Morodok Techo National Stadium badminton hall, Singapore retained their SEA Games badminton men’s and women’s team bronze medals after losing their semi-finals. But they may look back at what could have been. The men’s team shared the bronze with Thailand after losing 3-1 on Wednesday to Indonesia, who will face Malaysia in Thursday’s final. Loh Kean Yew’s voodoo against Indonesian players continued as the world No. 4 could not capitalise on his three match points, and slipped on the only one he faced to lose 10-21, 21-7, 24-22 against 19th-ranked Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo. He said: “It was anyone’s game, it was down to who was more consistent and did not make the mistake, and today he was the better player. I lost, so of course, I could have done better, but it wasn’t all bad and I felt I coped well under the pressure.” Terry Hee and Loh Kean Hean then put up a good fight against 2022 All England Open champions Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana but were beaten 21-15, 21-17. World No. 86 Jason Teh kept Singapore’s hopes alive with a spirited 15-21, 21-12, 21-14 win over 59th-ranked Christian Adinata. While former junior world No. 1s and Games debutants Nge Joo Jie and Johann Prajogo took the game to world No. 33s Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Erich Yoche Yacob, they could not prevent a 21-18, 21-16 defeat. Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew felt that losing 3-1 to Indonesia was “no disgrace”. He added: “It would have been great if Kean Yew managed to win today. There were a couple of errors at the wrong times, but we can’t fault his effort and intensity. Jason fought well and showed he was brave to change the game plan for his second and third games. “Our first doubles took on very strong opponents but unforced errors here and there cost us, and our two young boys had a go and would have learnt about the transition from junior to senior level, where their attacks would more often than not come back at them. But I’m very proud of the players and their effort.” Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew (in black) is floored as Indonesia’s Dwi Wardoyo celebrates after winning a closely match in the SEA Games men's team semi-finals. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO In the women’s team semi-finals, Singapore also picked up a shared bronze with the Philippines after losing 3-1 to Thailand, who will meet Indonesia on Thursday in a repeat of the 2022 final. With good movement and shot execution, world No. 34 Yeo Jia Min got the Republic off to a fine start with a 21-15, 21-6 win over 23rd-ranked Lalinrat Chaiwan, whom she lost to at the previous Games in Hanoi. Yeo Jia Min (left) defeated Lalinrat Chaiwan to start the women’s team off on the right foot. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO World No. 20 women’s doubles pair Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong then combined superbly to win the first game against ninth-ranked Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai, but had too many lapses later as they lost 12-21, 21-9, 21-14. A 2-0 lead would have put pressure on the defending champions, but Singapore seemed deflated after being pegged back by stronger opponents. Insyirah Khan, ranked 75th, found it tough to break down world No. 24 and leftie Supanida Katethong, who won 21-11, 21-8, before unranked Games debutantes Heng Xiao En and Elsa Lai were outclassed in their 21-6, 21-7 loss to world No. 12 sisters pair Benyapa and Nuntakarn Aimsaard. Andrew, who did not expect the women’s team to beat Thailand, said: “We had a great start and opportunities but our first doubles pair struggled after a change of tactics from the Thais, and we couldn’t get our noses in front after that.” The Republic will be represented by younger players in the individual events that start on Friday, as the senior players will be travelling to Suzhou, China, on Thursday for the May 14-21 Sudirman Cup.
SEA Games 2023: Singapore’s Johann Prajogo, Nge Joo Jie win badminton men’s doubles bronze Singapore’s Nge Joo Jie and Johann Prajogo (right) lost their SEA Games semi-final match to Indonesia’s Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Rambitan. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED MAY 16, 2023, 4:58 PM SGT PHNOM PENH – While their seniors have gone to battle in the Sudirman Cup in China, Singapore’s second-string badminton players have competed manfully at the SEA Games. The brightest spark among the group was men’s doubles pair and 19-year-olds Johann Prajogo and Nge Joo Jie, who belied their age and world No. 155 ranking to win a bronze medal. The men’s doubles are in a transition phase with Terry Hee breaking up with Loh Kean Hean to focus on the mixed doubles with Jessica Tan, while Loh and Andy Kwek are just starting to combine. The emergence of the youngsters provided hope for Singapore badminton in this event. In the round of 16, Prajogo and Nge beat unranked Cambodians Heng Mengleap and Yam Samnang, and then Malaysia’s 106th-ranked Chia Wei Jie and Liew Xun in the quarter-finals. On Monday, they gave Indonesia’s 33rd-ranked Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Rambitan a hard fight before going down 21-16, 21-18 at the Morodok Techo National Stadium Badminton Hall. In both games, they took early leads before their more illustrious opponents’ experience showed. Rallies were short as the 2022 Asian champions showed their speed and stroke quality to pick up fast points. However, Prajogo displayed some fine smashes, while Nge produced some clever serves to level the score at 16-16 in the second game, but loose shots later on cost them the match. The Indonesians will meet Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun in Tuesday’s final after the Thais beat another Indonesia pair and 2022 All-England Open champions Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana, who shared bronze with the Singaporeans. Their first SEA Games experience has given Prajogo and Nge, who ended 2022 as junior world No. 1s, the belief they can make a charge for the top 100 in the senior circuit before they enlist for national service in 2024. Prajogo said: “Playing against top players from this region, which has some of the top pairs in the world, we learnt that they are very consistent through the game, and we can do better to focus throughout from the first point. “In the absence of our seniors, we took the opportunity to play and enjoyed the process. It’s an honour to represent Singapore at the SEA Games and we hope we can be given a chance to play at the Asian Games too.” While they coped well with a boisterous crowd that was full of noisy Malaysian and Indonesian fans armed with kompang drums, air horns and whistles, Nge felt they could still improve. He said: “We didn’t let the pressure of the occasion get to us, and we managed to put that aside and focus on our match. “But it’s our first major Games and our first time playing in front of a packed arena. We still can get used to such a crowd and environment.” Singapore badminton has completed its SEA Games campaign with three bronzes, short of the one silver and five bronzes it won in Hanoi in 2022 with a full complement of players. MORE ON THIS TOPIC SEA Games 2023: S'pore lose badminton team semis, retain men’s and women’s bronze medals Badminton body bans new ‘spin serve’ for May games
Sudirman Cup: China power into quarters Xinhua, May 17, 2023 Hosts China stormed into the knockout stage after whitewashing Singapore in the second round of the group stage of badminton's Sudirman Cup on Tuesday. The hosts, who aimed at title defense, had thrashed Egypt 5-0 in their opener on Sunday before easing to another 5-0 over Singapore in Suzhou. They will take on Denmark on Thursday for the first place in Group A. Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong put China ahead in the opening mixed doubles, beating Hee Yong Kai Terry and Tan Wei Han Jessica 22-20, 21-19 in a 43-minute thriller. "We watched their match against Denmark, they are in good form, so we were prepared for the inferior game and crucial points, or even the third set," said Huang. "Mixed doubles is the first tie, so it's a big task for us. We have some pressure, so it's good to release ourselves on the court," Zheng added. Shi Yuqi extended the lead in the men's singles by defeating Teh Jia Heng Jason 21-10, 21-17, before He Bingjiao eased past Yeo Jia Min 22-20, 21-15 to claim the berth of the last eight for the holders. According to Shi, he had prepared against 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew, but he adjusted his tactics after learning the opponent was Teh. "After seeing the list come out, I have tried to adjust my mentality, because I need to fully pay attention. Anything can happen in a team competition, and my tactics and mentality need to change depending on the opponent," Shi told Xinhua. In the men's doubles, Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang recovered from one set down to beat Kwek Jun Liang Andy and Loh Kean Hean 19-21, 21-13, 21-14. World No. 1 women's pair Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan smashed Jin Yu Jia and Wong Jia Ying Crystal 21-7, 21-8. The other matchup in Group A saw Egypt join Singapore to crash out of the tournament with a 5-0 loss to Denmark. Also on Tuesday, Indonesia beat Germany 4-1 and Thailand also got a 4-1 victory over Canada in Group B.
Will the tide turn for Loh Kean Yew at Singapore Badminton Open? Will the tide turn for Loh Kean Yew at Singapore Badminton Open? - Singapore News (theindependent.sg) Photo: Facebook screengrab / BadmintonasiaC May 19, 2023 By Anna Maria Romero Currently fourth in world rankings, he faces formidable foes but hopes things will get better soon SINGAPORE: Former world champion Loh Kean Yew is currently in Suzhou, China, for the Sudirman Cup but will have a home-court advantage at the Singapore Badminton Open to be held this year from June 6 to 11. In Suzhou, Loh bested Egypt’s Adham Hatem Elgamal, 21-8, 21-13, but was defeated by Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, currently ranked number one in the world, 21-23, 21-13, 21-16. Loh, 25, the men’s singles world champion at the 2021 BWF World Championship in Huelva, Spain, is the first Singaporean to achieve this feat. He is currently fourth in world rankings. While he has performed well in various recent tournaments, finishing first once again has proven to be elusive. He made it all the way to the finals last month at the Asia Championships but lost to world number 2, Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, 12–21, 8–21. In June, Loh and reigning Commonwealth Games mixed doubles champions Terry Hee and Jessica Tan, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Yeo Jia Min, and women’s doubles pair Crystal Wong Jia Ying and Jin Yu Jia will be representing Singapore at the 2023 Karim Family Foundation KFF Singapore Badminton Open. Organised by the Singapore Badminton Association, the Singapore Badminton Open will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, It is a BWF World Tour Super 750 series event, where players will be battling it out for top honours and a slice of the US$850,000 prize purse and crucial Olympic ranking points. Perhaps it’s a good omen that Loh will start out against Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu, whom he bested for the first time at the Asia Championships, 21-19, 21-19. From that point on, Loh will be up against some formidable foes in the form of Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, currently ranked seventh in the world but who has defeated Loh in their last five matches; Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia, former men’s singles Asian champion ranked eighth in the world, and Japan’s Kento Momota, who has won the Singapore Open twice. And of course, Loh way well find himself in a match against defending champion Ginting. Loh, who has been defeated in six out of eight encounters with Indonesian players in the past ten months, was quoted earlier this month in The Straits Times as saying that the Indonesian athletes may have figured out the way to beat him. Nevertheless, he told ST that he is “still trying and trying to improve as much as possible. “Hopefully, things get better soon.” /TISG
SEA Games 2023: Singapore’s Johann Prajogo, Nge Joo Jie win badminton men’s doubles bronze Singapore’s Nge Joo Jie and Johann Prajogo (right) lost their SEA Games semi-final match to Indonesia’s Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Rambitan. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED MAY 16, 2023, 4:58 PM SGT PHNOM PENH – While their seniors have gone to battle in the Sudirman Cup in China, Singapore’s second-string badminton players have competed manfully at the SEA Games. The brightest spark among the group was men’s doubles pair and 19-year-olds Johann Prajogo and Nge Joo Jie, who belied their age and world No. 155 ranking to win a bronze medal. The men’s doubles are in a transition phase with Terry Hee breaking up with Loh Kean Hean to focus on the mixed doubles with Jessica Tan, while Loh and Andy Kwek are just starting to combine. The emergence of the youngsters provided hope for Singapore badminton in this event. In the round of 16, Prajogo and Nge beat unranked Cambodians Heng Mengleap and Yam Samnang, and then Malaysia’s 106th-ranked Chia Wei Jie and Liew Xun in the quarter-finals. On Monday, they gave Indonesia’s 33rd-ranked Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Rambitan a hard fight before going down 21-16, 21-18 at the Morodok Techo National Stadium Badminton Hall. In both games, they took early leads before their more illustrious opponents’ experience showed. Rallies were short as the 2022 Asian champions showed their speed and stroke quality to pick up fast points. However, Prajogo displayed some fine smashes, while Nge produced some clever serves to level the score at 16-16 in the second game, but loose shots later on cost them the match. The Indonesians will meet Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun in Tuesday’s final after the Thais beat another Indonesia pair and 2022 All-England Open champions Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana, who shared bronze with the Singaporeans. Their first SEA Games experience has given Prajogo and Nge, who ended 2022 as junior world No. 1s, the belief they can make a charge for the top 100 in the senior circuit before they enlist for national service in 2024. Prajogo said: “Playing against top players from this region, which has some of the top pairs in the world, we learnt that they are very consistent through the game, and we can do better to focus throughout from the first point. “In the absence of our seniors, we took the opportunity to play and enjoyed the process. It’s an honour to represent Singapore at the SEA Games and we hope we can be given a chance to play at the Asian Games too.” While they coped well with a boisterous crowd that was full of noisy Malaysian and Indonesian fans armed with kompang drums, air horns and whistles, Nge felt they could still improve. He said: “We didn’t let the pressure of the occasion get to us, and we managed to put that aside and focus on our match. “But it’s our first major Games and our first time playing in front of a packed arena. We still can get used to such a crowd and environment.” Singapore badminton has completed its SEA Games campaign with three bronzes, short of the one silver and five bronzes it won in Hanoi in 2022 with a full complement of players. MORE ON THIS TOPIC SEA Games 2023: S'pore lose badminton team semis, retain men’s and women’s bronze medals Badminton body bans new ‘spin serve’ for May games
Para badminton player Tay Wei Ming won’t let setbacks get in way of Paralympics dream Para-badminton player Tay Wei Ming will be competing in the June 3-9 Asean Para Games in Cambodia. ST PHOTO: RYAN CHIONG Kimberly Kwek UPDATED 11 HOURS AGO SINGAPORE – For the last four years, Tay Wei Ming’s sole focus has been to get to the 2024 Paralympics. It has been a journey fraught with frustrations and challenges for the para-badminton player, who has had to overcome several setbacks in pursuit of his dream. In 2020, he was dropped from the Sport Excellence Scholarship (spexScholarship), which offers support to athletes deemed to have the potential to excel on the Asian and world stage. This, coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic, limited Tay’s opportunities to compete. Months later, the 34-year-old came agonisingly close to qualifying for the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 – the world No. 9 missed out by one spot as only the top eight in the SU5 men’s singles qualified. While he was disappointed not to make the cut, it was also a time of introspection for Tay, who was born with Erb’s palsy, a condition that damaged the nerves in his right arm. He said: “Things happen for a reason. When I was taken out of the scholarship programme and I didn’t manage to qualify for Tokyo, that period was quite near to each other, so it was a tough period of time and I started to reflect on myself to see if there was anything that would help me continue my journey.” Determined to plough on to the Paris Games, Tay made a slew of changes, which included parting ways with his coach of 10 years. He then teamed up with former Nanyang Polytechnic teammates Victor Sim and Ooi Yu Hen, whom he feels has helped fine-tune his game by making adjustments to technical aspects such as his hand skills. Tay, who was the first Singaporean to win gold at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Para-Badminton World Championships in 2017, also began crowdfunding for his Paralympic campaign. With only the top eight in the world earning Paralympic berths, he is looking to compete in as many tournaments as he can until the qualification window closes in March 2024. Raising sufficient funds to cover expenses for overseas competitions is a concern, with the cost of sending an athlete and a coach to each event coming up to about $8,000. He has sent more than 100 e-mails to potential sponsors in the past few years but received only a handful of responses. Those who replied positively have helped cover some of the targeted sum of $80,000 and Tay, who is coaching part-time, has since raised $30,000 via crowdfunding and is aiming for another $20,000. After missing out on tournaments for two years, he made his competitive return at the Bahrain Para Badminton International in May 2022. But his comeback was short-lived as he underwent a minor operation in mid-2022 for a protruding disc in his spine that kept him out of action for the next two to three months, which resulted in him missing out on the 2022 Asean Para Games in Solo, Indonesia. At the Uganda Para Badminton International, he made a winning comeback by capturing the SU5 singles for his third international title – and his first since 2018. He said: “It was a morale booster. I didn’t think I would come back from recovery so fast to compete. I wasn’t in tip-top condition but it was a good opportunity to gain back that exposure.” Now, Tay will compete in his first Asean Para Games in six years from June 3-9 and he is aiming to improve on his bronze from Kuala Lumpur. Tay said: “For every APG, I will still have some nerves because, for para-badminton, the powerhouses are still in South-east Asia. So, naturally, the competitors there are tougher. This time I’m going in with a different mindset since I’m an old-timer – just enjoy the process because I never know when my last Asean Para Games will be.” Those who are keen to donate to Tay can do so at www.giving.sg/singapore-disability-sports-council/supportweiming MORE ON THIS TOPIC Singapore to send 26-strong contingent for 2023 Asean Para Games in Cambodia Singapore clinch six medals at World Para Athletics Grand Prix stop in Marrakech
Defiant Loh Kean Yew through to Singapore Badminton Open round of 16 Loh Kean Yew in action against Lee Cheuk Yiu at the Singapore Badminton Open on June 7. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED 10 HOURS AGO SINGAPORE – Down 17-12 and playing with the draught, Loh Kean Yew could have gone with the flow and conserved energy for a decider in the first round of the Singapore Badminton Open on Wednesday. But backed by a 5,000-strong partisan home crowd at the Indoor Stadium, the world No. 5 refused to throw in the towel, defiantly claiming nine out of the next 11 points to beat Hong Kong’s 14th-ranked Lee Cheuk Yiu 21-19, 21-19. Loh will take on world No. 35 Frenchman Christo Popov in the men’s singles round of 16 on Thursday. He said: “I heard the fans loud and clear today, and it felt amazing. I will need to take one match at a time but hopefully, I’ll be able to play more matches in front of fellow Singaporeans this week.” Perhaps the fresher of the two as he had skipped last week’s Thailand Open to prepare for this event while Lee reached the final in Bangkok, Loh managed to play with more zip and variation to take the first game. In a match where both players also defended well, Loh felt the key to his win, other than his never-say-die attitude, was his net game. He explained: “The draught was quite strong and the shuttle was moving quite fast today. “As we are both attacking players, it would be hard to defend if either of us play a lot of lifts to the opponent. As such, we had to focus more on net play to stop the opponent’s attack.” In the women’s singles, compatriot Yeo Jia Min also made a winning start in her home event, as she overcame world No. 17 Zhang Yiman 21-18, 21-14 for her first win over the Chinese in two attempts. Against an opponent who is not a hard hitter, the 29th-ranked Yeo was calm as she covered the court well while playing high-quality shots to move Zhang around and compel unforced errors. Like Loh, she also had to compose herself to rally from 14-12 and 7-3 down in the first and second games respectively to advance to the next round, where she will face South Korea’s world No. 2 An Se-young. Yeo, 24, said: “We both made unforced errors, but I tried to stick to my game plan to take the initiative more and get on the attacks as much as I can. It will be a tough match next against a physically strong opponent. I will have to bring my best game and make the most of my momentum and home ground support.” Fellow Singaporeans and world No. 21 Jin Yujia and Crystal Wong also took the fight to the higher-ranked Indonesians Apriyani Rahayu, one half of the Tokyo Olympics women’s doubles champions, and Siti Ramadhanti before losing 15-21, 21-19, 21-15 to the fifth-ranked pair. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Interactive: How Loh Kean Yew unleashes his winning smash National badminton player Yeo Jia Min riding out a season of ‘ups and downs’ Earlier in the day, the audience were entertained by a series of high-quality marathon matches at the US$850,000 (S$1.15 million) tournament, especially on Court 1, where the first seven matches went the distance. Thai star Kunlavut Vitidsarn survived a comeback from Chinese Taipei’s 28th-ranked Wang Tzu-wei, as the world No. 3 required seven matchpoints to prevail 21-15, 14-21, 28-26. He will take on 21st-ranked Ng Tze Yong for a place in the quarter-finals, and the Malaysian also went through a gruelling match before overcoming Ireland’s Nhat Nguyen 21-17, 18-21, 21-15. In the men’s doubles, Indonesia’s world No. 26 Pramudya Kusumawardana and Yeremia Rambitan staged an astonishing fightback from one game and 11-2 down in the second to beat Denmark’s 11th-ranked Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen 12-21, 21-18, 21-19. There was one more late upset, as Malaysia’s world No. 10 Lee Zii Jia was stunned by China’s 27th-ranked Weng Hongyang, who won 22-20, 16-21, 21-19. MORE ON THIS TOPIC Malaysia badminton ace Lee Zii Jia looks for success after turbulence Yamaguchi celebrates 26th birthday with tough Singapore Badminton Open first-round win
Singapore Badminton Open: Out-of-sorts Loh Kean Yew crashes out in shock loss Former world champion struggles mightily against young French opponent, admits "unhappiness" at his performance Chia Han Keong ·Editor Thu, 8 June 2023 at 6:52 pm SGT·3-min read Singapore shuttler Loh Kean Yew slumps to a shock defeat by Christo Popov of France at the 2023 Singapore Badminton Open. (PHOTO: Shi Tang/Getty Images) SINGAPORE — Disappointment was etched on Loh Kean Yew's normally-cheerful face, as he slumped to an upset defeat by a lower-ranked opponent at the KFF Singapore Badminton Open on Thursday (8 June). The former world champion, who had played so assuredly against a tricky opponent in the previous round, was tentative and error-prone against France's young upstart Christo Popov in his round-of-16 match at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. A poor first game led to an uphill struggle as world No.5 Loh fell 10-21, 21-23 in 45 minutes to 21-year-old Popov, ranked 30 spots below him in the world rankings. Despite the strong crowd turnout, the arena was stunned into silence as an out-of-sorts Loh sprayed errant shots all over the court in the first game, quickly falling 3-14 behind before Popov closed out the game. Loh was much better in the second game, but Popov defended well before errors crept back to halt Loh's comeback charge. "A lot of disappointment and unhappiness throughout the match," a subdued Loh told reporters after his loss. "I probably gave (Christo) a lot of confidence after the first game, and while I tried to make a fight out of it, it wasn't enough. I'll need to go back and think and analyse what went wrong." With Loh's exit from the men's singles event, the wait goes on for the next local men's singles winner at the Singapore Badminton Open after Wee Choon Seng way back in 1962. Yeo Jia Min no match for in-form An Se-young In the women's singles, Singapore Yeo Jia Min faced a daunting match-up in her round-of-16 tie, against South Korea's world No.2 An Se-young, the reigning All England champion. As much as Yeo tried to extend the rallies and force An into mistakes, she proved no match for the in-form An, who has already won four times on the BWF Tour this year. The Korean barely broke a sweat in defeating Yeo 21-12, 21-11 in 31 minutes. Analysing her loss, Yeo said after the match, "An played a fast game, and did not allow me to extend the rallies and set up the big smashes. I was always under pressure from running front and back, and that's some thing I need to keep working on to get better." Day three of the Singapore Open saw several other upsets in the draw. Taiwan's fifth-seeded men's singles player Chou Tien-chen was bundled out by former world No.2 Anders Antonsen of Denmark 21-12, 21-15, while Thailand's former women's world champion Ratchanok Intanon also succumbed to a 16-21, 10-21 defeat by Japan's Aya Ohori. Another former women's world champion, Spain's Carolina Marin, was edged out by Thailand's Supanida Katethong 21-17, 19-21, 17-21, while Thailand's defending mixed doubles champions Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai also lost narrowly to Denmark's Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje 24-26, 20-22.
World No. 35 Christo Popov dumps Loh Kean Yew out of Singapore Badminton Open Loh Kean Yew rues a demoralising second round defeat to Christo Popov at the Singapore Badminton Open at Indoor Stadium on June 8. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR Ervin Ang UPDATED 56 MINS AGO SINGAPORE – In recent years, Frenchman Christo Popov has revelled in knocking out higher-ranked players. At the 2021 Indonesia Open, then-world No. 70 at 19 years old, he achieved the biggest upset of his career with a shock first-round victory over home favourite and Olympic bronze medallist Anthony Ginting. In March, he sent India’s Lakshya Sen packing in the German Open’s first round. At the Singapore Badminton Open on Thursday, Popov, now world No. 35, added another big name to his list of scalps – the Republic’s 2021 world champion Loh Kean Yew. Displaying resilience and composure, Popov silenced the 4,800-strong Indoor Stadium crowd with a 21-10, 23-21 win over the world No. 5 in the second round. “I have waited so long to get these type of results. Making a 750 quarter-finals is my biggest result yet and I’m just very happy,” said Popov, referring to the competition’s status as a Super 750 event, the third tier on the Badminton World Federation World Tour. “This is my first game against Loh Kean Yew and I didn’t really know what to expect, but maybe I adapted better than him today.” He will meet world No. 3 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the last eight. From the get-go, Loh was a shadow of his usual self. Uncharacteristically spraying loose shots into the net, he allowed the more aggressive Popov to reel in six points in a row. While the home fans cheered every point Loh won, with brief shouts of “ee-ya!” as his smashes ripped through the air, there was deafening silence each time Popov picked up the points. Loh said: “This whole match there is a lot of disappointment and unhappiness. I need to go back to think, analyse and discuss (with my coaches). “I tried my best to make a comeback (in the second set) to be more focused and aggressive but it wasn’t enough.” Loh’s early 5-1 lead in the second set was quickly erased when errors crept back into his game. But from 17-19 down, he drew level with a trademark smash and a hard-fought defensive point that left him sprawled on the court. Loh Kean Yew (in white), collapsing onto the floor after a gruelling point against Christo Popov during the second round of the Singapore Badminton Open at Indoor Stadium on June 8, 2023. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR The fans started chanting Loh’s name again, but the Bulgaria-born Popov remained unfazed, nonchalantly firing a drop shot to get to match point, which was duly saved by Loh. But, facing a second match point, the latter’s return went wide after a rally. On the pressure of playing at home, Singapore Badminton Association technical director Martin Andrew said Loh “is very good at blocking it all out on court”, adding: “But the level of expectation is what stressed him out a little bit.” Loh, who will next play at the June 13-18 Indonesia Open, added: “There was always going to be some pressure but motivation as well. “I guess today, I didn’t manage it well. There’s a lot to work on, but hopefully, things will get better.” With Yeo Jia Min losing 21-12, 21-11 to South Korea’s world No. 2 An Se-young earlier in the women’s singles second round, Singapore players have all exited the US$850,000 (S$1.15m) tournament. Yeo said: “She played a fast game so she didn’t give me time to find directions and angles. I think there is improvement in certain areas of my game but I will have to be better against top-10 players.” Yeo Jia Min (in black) against South Korea’s An Se Young during the second round of the Singapore Badminton Open at Indoor Stadium on June 8, 2023. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR Also in the women’s draw, Thailand’s Supanida Katethong upset No. 6 seed and 2016 Olympic champion Carolina Marin 17-21, 21-19, 21-17, while Japan’s Aya Ohori shocked seventh seed Ratchanok Intanon 21-16, 21-10. There was another surprise in the men’s draw as Anders Antonsen battled past fifth seed Chou Tien-chen 21-12, 21-15.
South Korean An Se-young wins Singapore Badminton Open for fifth title in eight finals in 2023 South Korea's An Se-young celebrates after beating Japan's Akane Yamaguchi in the women's singles final at the Singapore Badminton Open on Sunday. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED 1 HOUR AGO SINGAPORE – There are not many players who can batter Japan’s world No. 1 and world champion Akane Yamaguchi into submission, but South Korea’s second-ranked An Se-young did just that to win the Singapore Badminton Open women’s singles title on her first try. After a futuristic court projection-and-light show at the start of the Sunday’s competition at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, she beat Yamaguchi 21-16, 21-14 in 40 minutes to prove that her time is now, as she picked up her fifth title from eight straight finals in 2023. With the world championships and Olympics coming up in the next 14 months, An wants to win them all and ascend to the summit of the world rankings. After her fifth victory in straight games in Singapore, the 21-year-old flashed her trademark A hand sign, and told The Straits Times: “These are my dreams. Although I want my dreams to come true, if I look at things that are too far away, I can become nervous and rush to do things. So, I would like to work hard for now and see how far I can go.” Post-match, Yamaguchi, 26, graciously gave her rival a heartfelt tribute and said An’s persistence posed a huge psychological challenge to her. She added: “Her defence is the most outstanding aspect of her game, and she has added attacking weapons over the years. She is also able to master the wind conditions and use them to her advantage. I had to stay level-headed, but I was unable to sustain this throughout the match.” An was one of four new winners at the US$850,000 (S$1.14 million) tournament. China’s three-time women’s doubles world champions and top-ranked Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan won here after overcoming South Korea’s world No. 2 Baek Ha-na and Lee So-hee 21-16, 21-12. The victory extended their win rate to an astounding 33 victories in 41 finals at senior level. Chen said: “It is actually impossible to try and maintain such form. We just do our best every time we get to a final, and perhaps the secret is just us having strict demands of ourselves every time we step onto the court. With the Olympics the only major event to elude them after losing the Tokyo 2020 final to Indonesians Greysia Polii and Apriyani Rahayu, Jia added: “Before we retire, we want to unlock more achievements and new titles.” In the mixed doubles, Denmark’s world No. 13 Mathias Christiansen and Alexandra Boje also broke through and defeated Japan’s third-ranked Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino 21-14, 20-22, 21-16. Denmark’s Mathias Christiansen (left) and Alexandra Boje celebrate after beating Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino during the mixed doubles event. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG While they could not put away their only match point in the second game, they persisted with their unusual strategy of Christiansen attacking the front court with Boje smashing or placing from behind and it paid off with the biggest title of their career. Christiansen, who threw his headband, racket and the winning shuttle into the crowd before he broke down in tears, said: “This court can be quite tricky to play because there was a lot of drift and it’s not easy to use the backline. So, the more you go forward as a pair, the better chance you have to win.” The men’s doubles final also produced a new winner as Japan’s world No. 6 Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi upstage China’s third-ranked Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang 21-13, 21-18. There was, however, one repeat winner and it was Indonesia’s world No. 2 Anthony Ginting, who became the first men’s singles player to retain his Singapore Open title in 20 years since China’s Chen Hong in 2003. He cruised past Denmark’s 22nd-ranked Anders Antonsen 21-16, 21-13. Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting celebrates after beating Denmark’s Anders Antonsen during the men’s singles final at the Singapore Badminton Open on Sunday. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG As Ginting struggled with the court conditions early on, Antonsen – making a comeback from a spate of injuries –led 15-14 in the first game, but once the speedy Ginting found his range, it was the Dane who crumbled with a series of unforced errors and poor line calls. No men’s singles player has won three straight Singapore Open titles since Ong Poh Lim (1952-55). Ginting said: “It’s a big honour because Singapore is one of my favourite countries. I enjoy myself here, which helps with my strategy and play because I feel comfortable on court. “It’s not easy to defend the title and I’m sure the other players will try their best to beat me. So, I have to keep improving to stand a chance of winning again next year.” The singles champions took home US$59,500, while the runner-up bagged US$28,900. Meanwhile, the doubles winners will cash in a cheque for US$62,900, while the beaten finalists collected US$29,750. MORE ON THIS TOPIC The scampering feet and subtle hands of the No. 1 badminton player on planet Earth World No. 35 Christo Popov dumps Loh Kean Yew out of Singapore Badminton Open
Yeo Jia Min, flu-ridden Loh Kean Yew miss out on Indonesia Open q-finals Yeo Jia Min (left) and Loh Kean Yew were eliminated from the Indonesia Open on June 15. PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO, GAVIN FOO David Lee Sports Correspondent UPDATED 10 HOURS AGO SINGAPORE – The Republic’s top badminton players Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min were pushed to the brink in the round of 16 of the US$1.25 million (S$1.68 million) Indonesia Open on Thursday, before they were ultimately eliminated. Struggling with fever, flu and sore throat, a gasping Loh ran out of steam and crashed out of the men’s singles after losing 21-19, 21-14 to China’s world No. 10 Li Shifeng in 44 minutes at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno in Jakarta. Li, 23, had not beaten Loh, 25, in four previous encounters, but the Chinese player has seen his profile soar since winning the All England Open in March. World No. 5 Loh seemed to have an edge with his net play and smash combinations as he looked to hold on to a slender lead after the interval. But as Li raised his game to push Loh around the court, the unforced errors started to creep in for the Singaporean, who lost the opener after a drop shot went into the net and a return flew long. Loh drew on his reserves to turn a 7-1 deficit into a 12-11 lead in the second game, but he was spent by then. Li grabbed his breakthrough win to move into Friday’s quarter-finals, where he will meet India’s Kidambi Srikanth, while Loh returns home with US$3,750. Loh said: “It sucks to catch the flu before such a big tournament and I can only try my best. I really gave it my all today. My body already felt like it was breaking yesterday (in his win over Indonesia’s Chico Wardoyo) and today I felt like I have no more strength. “I haven’t had much time to rest and recover in general, so I hope to be able to do so in the coming weeks, work on my game and come back stronger.” In the women’s singles, world No. 28 Yeo fell just short of an upset and a first win in four attempts over Spain’s former Olympic and world champion Carolina Marin, losing 26-24, 23-21 after an hour-long battle of fitness and style. Marin’s speed and power helped her build an 18-13 lead in the opener but with patient rallies and high-quality returns, Yeo saved three game points to take it to deuce. However, she was not able to get her nose in front and world No. 6 Marin took the first game. The second game followed a similar vein, as Marin led 15-10 and 19-17. But Yeo kept fighting and even earned a game point. The Spaniard’s experience and quality eventually won out on her 30th birthday, as she secured a quarter-final spot against Chinese Taipei’s world No. 3 Tai Tzu-ying. Yeo, 24, said: “I had a good game plan and counter-attacking chances today, but there are still parts of my game that are lacking. During the crucial moments, I was not making smart choices, and I lost my chance to win the match.” MORE ON THIS TOPIC Interactive: How Loh Kean Yew unleashes his winning smash Loh Kean Yew stays patient in solving badminton puzzle National singles coach Kelvin Ho shared that both players will not be featuring in the upcoming tournaments in Chinese Taipei, Canada and the United States, which will allow them to work on their game before the July 18-23 Korea Open. He added: “Jia Min played well in terms of speed and movement, but still needs to add shot variation, and improve on her awareness and anticipation to her opponent’s shots and position. “Kean Yew fought on despite his illness, but we still need to work on his consistency. He wasn’t linking his shots as well as he is capable of and threw away points too easily.” MORE ON THIS TOPIC Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia quits badminton competitions temporarily Video of Lee Chong Wei teaching Lin Dan to speak Malay a smash hit among netizens
Singapore badminton receives $1.1m sponsorship boost, shuttlers off to Sudirman Cup after bronze medal win at SEA Games Photo credit: Singapore Badminton Association Singapore badminton receives $1.1m sponsorship boost, shuttlers off to Sudirman Cup after bronze medal win at SEA Games - Singapore News (theindependent.sg) May 13, 2023 By Khalis Rifhan SBA chief says sponsorship will play a vital role in supporting the development ol badminton players SINGAPORE — Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) has recently received a timely boost with two major sponsors, Karim Family Foundation (KFF) and JK Technology, pledging a total of $1.1 million. KFF has pledged $600,000 over the next three years to help national players train and compete while JK Technology has committed $500,000 towards supporting the SBA’s newly introduced post-career gratuity programme. KFF and JK Technology are also sponsors for the upcoming Singapore Badminton Open, which will be held from June 6 to June 11 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The Singapore national badminton players are currently in Cambodia for the SEA Games where they have won bronze in the men’s and women’s team events. The men’s team lost 3-1 to Indonesia in the semi-finals, while the women’s team went down by the same scoreline to Thailand in the semi-finals too. Most of these players including Loh Kean Yew, and Yeo Jia Min will no longer participate in the SEA Games as they will travel to China for the Sudirman Cup (May 14 to 21). Singapore has been drawn in Group A alongside hosts China, Denmark and Egypt. Photo credit: Singapore Badminton Association Loh expressed his gratitude to the sponsors for helping the players. “It’s very heartwarming to see corporate sponsors come in to support the sport, in terms of player development and a post-career plan. With all these initiatives, it will give players the assurance and encouragement to continue to pursue the sport and perform,” said Loh who expressed his gratitude to all the sponsors and supporters. The KFF, established by Indonesian tycoon Bachtiar Karim and his wife Dewi Sukwanto, is dedicated to philanthropy with a focus on sports development, arts and culture, mental health, and education. In 2021, the foundation donated $200,000 to local favourite Loh following his historic BWF World Championship win. “We are very enthusiastic and excited to support our local players in their future development in the sport over the next few years. KFF believes that investing in players is a crucial step towards building a strong and sustainable future for badminton in Singapore. We hope to reduce the financial worry that many sportsmen and sportswomen in Singapore have as they chase their dreams by giving them the required support, enabling opportunities for them to compete at the highest level and bring glory to Singapore on the world stage,” said Cindy Karim, KFF’s principal. Meanwhile, SBA’s newly introduced post-career gratuity programme will be supported by JK Tecknology’s half-a-million-dollar sponsorship. As part of the programme, SBA will set funds aside to be disbursed as a gratuity to eligible athletes at the end of their playing career. The gratuity amount is pegged to an athlete’s best ranking during their career and the time they represented Singapore in the sport, with payouts ranging from $16,000 to $100,000. “This is a very important initiative because one of the reasons we have identified why players have dropped out and are not considering their full career development is because they worry about not having the financial means when they eventually end their playing career. With this fund we are setting up, players can play badminton with a peace of mind, to focus and excel in the game,” said Eugene Ang, the managing director of JK Technology, who was one of five local businesspersons who raised $50,000 for Loh after his BWF World Championship victory. SBA chief executive officer Alan Ow said that he is grateful for the generous contributions from KFF and JK Technology and he feels that their sponsorship will play a vital role in supporting the development of our national badminton players and aiding their financial future through the post-career gratuity program. “This is a significant step towards achieving our goals of building a sustainable and thriving badminton ecosystem in Singapore. We look forward to working closely with our partners to create opportunities for our players to excel internationally,” said Ow.
