'I wanted to play for him': Singapore badminton player Loh Kean Yew a new father to a baby boy

PARIS: Even before competing in one biggest tournaments of his life, Singapore badminton player Loh Kean Yew was already a winner.

Loh had become a new father to a baby boy about two weeks ago, the former world champion revealed to reporters on Wednesday (Aug 7).

His wife had given birth while Loh was in Denmark for a training camp.

“We had already planned for this. So we already knew that if things went smoothly, I wouldn’t be able to accompany her,” said Loh.

"Welcome to the world, our precious little one," Loh added in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

While first a sense of guilt for Loh at missing the birth of his first child, he "couldn't stop smiling after", he recalled.

Loh proposed to his now-wife in December 2022 and the couple tied the knot in the first quarter of last year.

The 27-year-old has been tight-lipped about their relationship over the years.

Loh's quest for a medal at the Paris Olympics ended earlier this month when he was beaten in the men's singles quarter-finals by reigning champion Viktor Axelsen.

Axelsen went on to defend his crown.

The couple had made the decision not to inform Loh if their child was born during the Olympics, the 27-year-old revealed.

"She wanted me to focus all the way (on the Games first)," he explained. "But in the end, I still asked and knew about it (beforehand)."

While there was a "little bit" of stress for Loh before his son was born, it was extra motivation as he competed at the Games, he said.

"I wanted to play for him, I wanted to play for my wife," he added. "Now there is something else to play for."

Loh made his Olympic debut at the last edition of the Games in Tokyo, where he was eliminated in the group stage.

His campaign in Paris saw him become the first Singaporean badminton player to reach the quarter-finals at the Olympics in two decades.