Loh Kean Yew: Courtyard Prince to King of the World

Loh Kean Yew’s first smash of the shuttlecock can be traced to his childhood days in the courtyard of his Penang home. His foundation years would hone his personal grit and resilience. Family would also play a pivotal role as he rallied his way into the badminton world of who’s who. Now set to embark on his second Olympics outing, Kean Yew’s story is a testament of, pardon the pun, always staying on point.

Humble Beginnings

Born in 1997 in Penang, the youngest of four boys grew up idolising football megastar Cristiano Ronaldo, but badminton was his true love. “My older brother Kean Hean, whom I’ve always looked up to, was the reason I picked up badminton,” he fondly recalled¹. Sparring for endless hours with his neighbours and brothers, Kean Yew’s competitive streak was developed on their very own “showcase court” with the front gate used as a net. Although a bullying incident would momentarily curtail his progress, he reignited his love for the sport again when he was nine and joined the Penang state team soon after.

His parents were fully supportive of his pursuit of badminton, where quality family bonding time was often sacrificed. “While everybody was out spending time with their friends and family, I chose badminton practice because I knew I wanted to be great at it,” he recounted.²

Loh Kean Yew idolised Cristiano Ronaldo growing up (Photo credit: Loh Kean Yew's Instagram)

Support from Family

Kean Yew's parents would take him and Kean Hean to training, waiting until midnight. They made an even greater sacrifice by sending their teenage boys to Singapore. Kean Yew paid tribute to his parents, saying, "I can’t imagine what they went through every day with their children being away from them. That is one of the biggest sacrifices – not being able to spend time with us.”³

Kean Yew’s parents are the pillars of support for his badminton dream (Photo credit: Loh Kean Yew's Instagram)

Tough Transition

13-year-old Kean Yew moved to Singapore after receiving a scholarship from the Singapore Sports School. The transition was expectedly tough, especially during the initial days as homesickness crept in. Fortunately, the companionship of Kean Hean – who is also a national shuttler for TeamSG – smoothened the rigours.

“Slowly, I started to make friends and adapt to life here,” he said. After graduation, Kean Yew continued his education at Republic Polytechnic. However, he decided to end his studies prematurely to focus on the sport full-time. It was a move that shocked his mother, Mdm Grace Gan. “After he explained to us his decision, we understood that he was mature enough and believed and trusted that he could do it,” recalled Mdm Gan.⁴

Transformational Years

2015 was a landmark year for the boyish-looking Kean Yew, who alongside Kean Hean, took up Singapore citizenship. It was a decision he said he had no regrets after spending so many years training and developing in the city-state. He represented Singapore for the very first time, grabbing a bronze medal in the SEA Games.

Serving National Service from 2016 to 2018 also shaped him into a “totally different person”, where he became more outgoing and extroverted. 

Loh Kean Yew poses during his NS days (Photo credit: Loh Kean Yew's Instagram)

Big Breakthrough

Kean Yew’s first Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour title arrived in 2019. It was made all the sweeter as he outwitted two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan to win the Thai Masters. Kean Yew also clinched silver in the 2019 SEA Games, finishing second best to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia. 

Loh Kean Yew beat the mighty Lin Dan to claim his first BWF World Tour crown (Photo credit: Loh )

But his ascendancy as a true force on the international scene came in 2021. Almost immediately after a bitter group stage exit at the Tokyo Olympics, he signed up for a one-month training camp arranged by Denmark’s newly minted Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. He was duly revitalised and scooped the Dutch Open and Hylo Open in quick succession. 

The Indonesia Open, a Super 1000 tournament (the highest tier of the BWF World Tour) was next, where he went all the way to the final. Although he lost to Axelsen, it marked the best performance by a Singaporean male shuttler at the Tour for 17 years. 

Timely Support

Meanwhile, the award of the Sports Excellence (SPex) Scholarship to Loh Kean Yew in 2019 came at the perfect moment, propelling him significantly closer to his aspirations. This scholarship represents a substantial boost, providing enhanced backing for his training regimen, participation in both domestic and international tournaments, and all other endeavours crucial to the realisation of his dreams.

Top Of The World

Kean Yew’s good form continued at the World Championships in Huelva, Spain. A revenge win over Axelsen was dispatched in the opening round, carving the first chapter of a fairytale run that saw him make the final. The nation watched on as Kean Yew outlasted India’s Srikanth Kidami in a gripping finale. 

Loh Kean Yew rises to the top of the world!  (Photo credit: Loh Kean Yew's Instagram)

Becoming Singapore’s first-ever badminton world champion, Kean Yew said he only dared to dream of this achievement in his wildest dreams. These accomplishments also propelled Kean Yew to win the 2022 Sportsman of the Year award, the highest individual accolade in Singapore sport.

Any distinguished athlete will inevitably experience wild ebbs and flows in his or her career, and Kean Yew can rightfully say he rode it. In the following 27 months after the Huelva success, he endured an excruciating title drought which was only quenched in March this year at the Madrid Spain Masters.  

Having been married for over a year, he also leans on the support from his spouse, stressing that the commitment and responsibility is much more now. “I want to do better for the sake of my wife and my family.”⁵

Kean Yew ended his title drought in the Spain Masters 2024 (Photo Credit: SIngapore Badminton Association Facebook)

Paris Olympics And Beyond

As Paris beckons, Kean Yew will be raring to go once more. He joined paddler Yu Mengyu as flag bearer to lead Team Singapore at the Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a moment he recalled as always being honoured and grateful to carry the Singapore flag on his back. The nation awaits and will thrive by his personal motto “Dare to dream and dream big”. 

Kean Yew was the co-flagbearer at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (Photo credit: Loh Kean Yew's Instagram)

Quote references:

1- https://www.mccy.gov.sg/KAYA/Sports/Dare-to-dream-Loh-Kean-Yew

2- https://www.mccy.gov.sg/KAYA/Sports/Dare-to-dream-Loh-Kean-Yew

3- https://www.go.gov.sg/sportsman-of-the-year

4- https://www.go.gov.sg/lky-marriage-badminton