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Paris Olympics: Loh Kean Yew makes Singapore history, stuns China’s Li Shifeng in badminton

  • Ranked 12th in the world, Loh has taken China’s badminton fan base by storm after his victory

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Loh Kean Yew has become an idol back home in Singapore after his victory over Li Shifeng in the badminton quarter-finals. Photo: Xinhua

Loh Kean Yew has equalled the best result ever achieved by a Singaporean badminton player by upsetting China’s world No 7 Li Shifeng.

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And Loh, ranked 12th in the world, has taken China’s badminton fan base by storm after his victory.

The 24-year-old Chinese badminton stand-out was among the top five men favoured to top the podium in Paris, following his medal-winning exploits in six BWF World Tours since March 2023.

The first game was nip and tuck, requiring extra points to decide a winner, but it was Loh who came out on top.

Entering the second game with an advantage in his pocket, Loh sailed through the second and final game, with a 21-15 victory to advance to the quarter-final stage.

Loh Kean Yew has gained an extra following in China to go with his new hero status in Singapore. Photo: Xinhua
Loh Kean Yew has gained an extra following in China to go with his new hero status in Singapore. Photo: Xinhua

Loh’s unexpected triumph ignited a fever back home.

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