Singapore’s Badminton Hopes Dashed at SEA Games as Loh Kean Yew Falls in Quarterfinals
Singapore’s long wait for a SEA Games medal in badminton singles continues after world No. 10 Loh Kean Yew suffered a quarterfinal defeat on Dec. 12. The loss effectively ends Singapore’s participation in the badminton competition at the 2025 Games.
Loh, the top seed in the men’s singles event following the decision of home favorite Kunlavut Vitidsarn to focus solely on the team competition, had previously secured his place in the last eight with a 21-17, 21-19 victory over the Philippines’ Jewel Angelo Albo. However, at the Thamasat Rangsit Gymnasium 4 in Thailand, he encountered a formidable challenge in Indonesia’s unseeded Zaki Ubaidillah, ranked No. 48 globally.
The match lasted 46 minutes, with Loh ultimately losing 19-21 in the first game and 10-21 in the second.
Following the match, Loh expressed his disappointment, stating, “Of course, I’m disappointed. But there’s nothing I can do. It’s a sport… I have to go back and practice.” He acknowledged Zaki’s strong performance, adding, “Obviously, as you can tell, he played really well. It was very hard to play against him. I mean, his qualities. For now, I need a break from tournaments. I gave my everything there in the game but, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.”
Loh further emphasized the unique pressures of the SEA Games, noting, “The Games are ‘very different’ from other tournaments as they are ‘much more important’. There’s a lot more expectation and pressure. Even for myself, the desire to win is much stronger. I gave everything in the court. I tried every possible way, but there weren’t any good answers.”
Broader Singaporean Struggles at the 2025 SEA Games
Loh’s defeat was not an isolated incident for Team Singapore’s badminton contingent. Compatriot and men’s singles third seed Jason Teh was eliminated on Dec. 11, falling to Malaysia’s world No. 38 Justin Hoh 20-22, 15-21.
The same day saw both Singaporean women’s singles players also exit the competition. Insyirah Khan, ranked No. 150, lost to Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching (No. 46) 16-21, 15-21, while Jaslyn Hooi (No. 192) was defeated by K. Letshanaa 17-21, 20-22.
The setbacks continued on Dec. 12, with the mixed doubles pair of Terry Hee and Jin Yujia losing to Malaysia’s top seeds Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei 12-21, 14-21. In men’s doubles, Wesley Koh and Junsuke Kubo, ranked 52nd, were bested by Indonesia’s world No. 19 duo Leo Carnando and Bagas Maulana.
Despite the individual disappointments, Singapore’s women’s and men’s teams had earlier secured bronze medals in the team events, offering a small measure of success during the Games.
The results underscore the growing competitiveness of badminton in Southeast Asia and the challenges facing Singapore in its pursuit of a coveted singles medal.
