Singapore badminton players target Asian Games medals in Japan
Singaporean badminton players Loh Kean Yew and Yeo Jia Min are aiming to win medals at the Asian Games, which will take place from September 19 to October 4 in Nagoya, Japan. This was stated by Kelvin Ho, assistant coach of the national singles team, Channel NewsAsia reports.
Singapore will also be represented at the tournament by the men's doubles pair Wesley Koh and Junsuke Kubo. According to Ho, Loh and Yeo should focus on each match individually, but the goal is to reach the podium and win a medal for the country.
A chance to improve on the 2023 result
Twenty-nine-year-old Loh Kean Yew, a former world champion, described his debut at the 2023 Asian Games as unsuccessful. In Hangzhou, he lost to Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong in the men's singles round of 32 and ended his campaign early.
Loh, who is ranked 13th in the world, hopes to handle the psychological pressure better this time and deliver his best performance. He noted that the men's singles tournament will be open: on a good day, with the draw or favorable circumstances, any player can beat an opponent. The participants will include world number one Jonatan Christie of Indonesia.
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Yeo recovering from injury
Yeo Jia Min, who is ranked 45th in the world, missed a number of tournaments this year due to injury. Her most recent appearance was at the Australian Badminton Open in June, where she withdrew in the round of 16. The athlete said she had prepared for the Asian Games following the advice of doctors and a fitness coach, although she has not yet recovered 100%.
Yeo named Olympic champion An Se Young of South Korea as the favorite in the women's singles tournament. An has won seven titles this year. Singapore's only badminton medal at the Asian Games is the bronze in the women's team event in Doha in 2006.
Koh and Kubo are ranked 42nd in the world and will compete together at the Asian Games for the first time. Koh said the pair aim to gain as much experience as possible.
