SINGAPORE – Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew has successfully moved into the top-ten ranking of the world’s top men’s badminton players.
The 24-year-old, who was ranked number 12th last week, has now jumped to a career-high position of nine, according to Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) updated rankings yesterday.
Kean Yew’s rise is attributed to his creditable performance at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2022 tournament, where Singapore claimed bronze − the first time the nation clinched a medal at the event − after losing 3-2 to Indonesia in the semi-finals.
Kean Yew won all but one of his games when he went up against world number seven Lee Zii Jia. The Malaysian shuttler’s victory was the first of many for his team, which eventually defeated Singapore 5-0 in their group match.
Despite being ranked 39th a year ago, Kean Yew had propelled up the rankings after amassing a string of sensational performances at the tail-end of 2021.
This included winning the Dutch Open crown in October and claiming his first career BWF World Tour Super 500 title at the Hylo Open in November.
Kean Yew’s crowning achievement came in December when he became the first Singaporean to win a BWF World Championships title.
The spirited shuttler defeated India’s Kidambi Srikanth 21-15, 22-20 in the men’s singles final to cap off a fairytale run that saw him overcome Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen and Axelsen’s compatriot Anders Antonsen.
The Singaporean has so far competed in two tournaments in 2022 − finishing runners-up to India’s Lakshya Sen at the India Open before competing in the recent Badminton Asia Team Championships.
He is slated to feature at the German Open next month, where he will face Canada’s Brian Yang in his opening match.
Dane Axelsen currently sits atop the BWF’s men’s rankings with Japan’s Kento Momota in second and Antonsen in third.
Kean Yew’s compatriot Yeo Jia Min remains at a career-high 16th in the women’s rankings. – Agencies, February 23, 2022
