SEA Games: Singapore Badminton Association eyeing 4 medals, Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min targeting singles gold
Singapore clinched three badminton bronzes at the last edition of the Games in Cambodia.
Yeo Jia Min and Loh Kean Yew will spearhead the campaign of Singapore's badminton team at next month's SEA Games. (Photo: CNA/Matthew Mohan)
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SINGAPORE: After what has been a trying year for Singapore's top badminton players Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min, they will look to turn things around at the Southeast Asian Games in December.
Both world number nine Loh and world-ranked 19 Yeo are gunning for gold in the singles events at the Games in Thailand, with a target of four medals set by the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) for its contingent of 18.
"Singapore Badminton Association places a lot of importance and priority on this very significant tournament," said SBA chief executive officer Woo Kaiwei at a media session on Thursday (Nov 6).
"Overall, I would say that we are quietly confident, and we hope that ... all Singaporeans will cheer them on."
A number of the world's top stars are expected to compete at the Games, including world number three men's singles player Kunlavut Vitidsarn, as well as Malaysia's mixed doubles world champions Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, and world number two men's doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
"There's going to be a lot of strong players from other countries ... It's not going to be easy," said Loh.
"Everyone is aiming for gold, and everyone is fighting for the gold. We will just try our best and fight."
Singapore clinched three bronzes at the last edition of the Games in Cambodia, in the men's and women's team events as well as the men's doubles.
While Loh and Yeo participated in the team events, they did not play in the men's and women's singles due to a scheduling clash with the BWF Sudirman Cup, which was held in Suzhou, China.
"Last edition, I didn't play in the individuals, so I'm looking forward very much to this edition and the goal is also definitely to get (a) gold medal, regardless (of whether) other countries are sending their top players or not," said Yeo.
"It will be a challenge, but I'm up for a challenge and I'll do my best."
It has been 14 years since Fu Mingtian won Singapore's last SEA Games singles gold. And it has been an even longer wait for a men's singles gold – Wong Shoon Keat claimed the country's only one back in 1983.
"Expectations ... are always going to be there. It's also ... (a) privilege to have these kinds of expectations, because it shows the level that we are at," said Loh. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to keep playing (at this tournament)."
Singapore's world number 26 Jason Teh will also compete in the men's singles and team events. Teh secured his first major singles title in February, winning the Super 300 Thailand Masters.
AN UP AND DOWN YEAR
Four badminton players will also make their Games debuts in Thailand, including 18-year-old Ding Hanjin as well as sisters Li Zhenghong and Li Zhengyan, who are 18 and 17, respectively. Three of the debutants are from the national training squad.
"(The squad) is a mix of ... seasoned, experienced players together with some of the up and coming emerging talent," said Mr Woo.
"This is a very purposeful strategy by us, because we want to leverage the upcoming SEA Games to prepare ourselves for the next few SEA Games, in particular the 2029 SEA Games, which will be held on home ground."
SBA will hold a centralised training camp in Singapore at the end of the month, with players from Chinese Taipei expected to be sparring partners.
While Loh ended a 14-month wait for a title in May at the Super 300 Taipei Open, he has struggled in the second half of 2025 after recovering from a bacterial infection that saw him bedridden and missing tournaments.
Last month, he was eliminated twice in the opening round and once in the second round of European competitions.
"Healthwise, I've almost recovered already, but physically, the ability to play in high-level tournaments, it's still here and there," Loh told reporters.
"It's about managing our rest and training, and how we prepare for the tournaments all together at once in a short period of time ... I'm trying my best to manage it as it is with whatever I can, and hoping to perform the best that I can."
In March, Yeo won the Super 300 German Open, claiming her first BWF title since 2019. However, she has been dealing with persistent injury issues for quite some time.
"(Recent first round exits are) of course upsetting ... but more than (that), it is more my performance. My performance hasn't really been where I thought I would be pre-injury," said Yeo, who has opted against competing at the upcoming Kumamoto Masters in Japan as well as the Australian Open.
"I know what I need to do and what I can do on court. But it's just my body not being able to do so."
However, things are looking better, Yeo added.
"The past week and a half, it's been quite positive in a sense. Day by day, I feel like I am getting stronger, a bit more back to (I was) before ... I have to balance between not flaring up my injuries but still progressively loading," said Yeo.
"I have about one month left, which I think is quite (a) decent amount of time. Hopefully my confidence will grow more and more from training, to bring it to the competition."
The 2025 SEA Games will take place from Dec 9 to Dec 20.
