Singaporean Champion Defeats Heo Kwang-hee in Opening Round
Badminton world champion Loh Kean Yew kicked off the Indonesia Open with an impressive victory on Tuesday, June 14, defeating South Korea’s Heo Kwang-hee. At just 24 years old, Loh, the reigning men’s singles world champion, is currently ranked ninth globally, while Heo holds the 31st position.
The match, held at the Istora Senayan Stadium in Jakarta, lasted 42 minutes, concluding with a score of 21-12, 23-21. This win marks the third time Loh has triumphed over Heo, having previously beaten him at the Hyderabad Open three years ago and again last month during the Thomas Cup finals. Highlights of Loh’s performance were shared on his Instagram page by bwf.official.
The post celebrated his achievement with the caption, “What a match! @lohkeanyew wows everyone in Istora!”
In the next round on June 15, Loh will face French player Toma Junior Popov, who is ranked 26th in the world. Loh defeated Popov just last week at the Indonesia Masters.
A victory against Popov could set up rematches with two of Loh’s notable rivals: Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen, currently the world’s top-ranked player, or Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia. Loh previously bested Lee at the Hylo Open final in Germany last November, where Lee is ranked fifth.
Loh’s recent win comes after his loss to world number four, Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, in the men’s singles semi-final at the Indonesia Masters on June 11. Reflecting on that match, he expressed on Instagram, “Tried looking for some answers to Chou Tien Chen’s moves, but he brought a stronger game to court today. He will face Viktor in the finals; all the best to them!”
Denmark’s Axelsen went on to win the championship with a score of 21-10, 21-12 on Sunday, June 12.
Looking ahead, Loh has a busy schedule. He is part of the Singapore National Olympic Council’s contingent set to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this July. Additionally, he will participate in the Malaysia Open at the end of June and the Singapore Badminton Open in July.
