Badminton: Loh Kean Yew gunning for men’s singles gold at SEA Games in May

SINGAPORE – Right after clinching a silver medal at the 2019 SEA Video games, Loh Kean Yew desires to do one particular much better and get a gold at this year’s edition of the competitiveness, which will be held in Hanoi from Might 12-23.

The final time Singapore gained the SEA Online games men’s singles title was in 1983, when Wong Shoon Keat achieved the feat.

At the 2019 SEA Video games in the Philippines, Loh became the 1st nationwide shuttler to make it to the men’s ultimate given that 2007, but shed to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia.

The 24-yr-aged stated: “I’m surely aiming for gold due to the fact I have under no circumstances gotten a gold right before so that is undoubtedly the goal.

“It is really been a prolonged time due to the fact Singapore bought a gold at the SEA Games (in the men’s singles) so it would imply a whole lot for me and for Singapore.”

Loh was talking immediately after an appreciation ceremony organised by the Singapore Badminton Affiliation (SBA) on Friday (April 15) at the OCBC Arena to thank Neo Backyard for its donation package deal value $300,000 that will go in the direction of the enhancement of SBA’s significant-effectiveness programmes.

The SBA’s superior-functionality programme covers matters these types of as overseas coaching stints and competitions, as perfectly as the enhancement of gamers on all degrees.

The association also ideas to convey in sparring partners from nations this sort of as Indonesia as section of preparations for this year’s important Online games.

The months top up to the SEA Video games have been a learning method for Loh, who has been mastering to deal with the stress that arrives along with his status as the badminton earth champion.

But he sees this as an option to improve, indicating: “It is challenging in the sense that because everyone’s analysing (my video game) so I need to improvise my activity to be improved. So it really is a fantastic factor for me, it truly is also a very good matter for me to be greater.

“The force is often likely to be there. It will not likely go away, it truly is a lot more about how I deal with it. I consider it really is superior but I’m nonetheless understanding to cope with it so ideally I am going to come to be greater and far better.”

Aside from the SEA Video games, the countrywide shuttlers will also be involved in the July 28-Aug 8 Commonwealth Game titles and September’s Asian Game titles this 12 months.

SBA chief govt Alan Ow explained: “In conditions of sporting activities sponsorship and donation in Singapore, we are not exactly in a very mature condition so for organizations to action ahead, specially through this pandemic period of time.

“We are glad that we can have Neo Yard on board to aid with the growth of gamers, in particular for the duration of this time period when we are two a long time absent from the Olympics, so we want to give our athletes each individual attainable prospect for a podium complete and getting sufficient education and competitions will be critical.”