NAGOYA, JAPAN — On a landmark evening at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, Singapore badminton etched another unforgettable milestone. Loh Kean Yew pushed through physical strain and tactical attrition to claim a historic silver medal in the men’s singles, falling 21-12, 21-16 to Thailand’s reigning world champion and world No. 1, Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
While gold eluded the 29-year-old on Tuesday, the podium finish marks the Republic’s finest individual showing at the continental showcase. The result snaps a two-decade medal drought dating back to the women’s team bronze in Doha 2006, establishing Loh as the first Singaporean shuttler to contest an Asian Games final.
Photo: Team Singapore
An Epic Clash of Styles and Brotherhood
Court rivalry gave way to deep mutual respect at the net. Training partners and close friends off the court, Loh and Kunlavut traded leads in both sets—Loh inching ahead 7-6 in the opener and 14-13 in the second. However, Kunlavut’s trademark defensive wall and tactical precision gradually forced critical unforced errors from the Singaporean talisman:
"I’m happy to get the silver and create history, but at the same time, it is a bit sad that I couldn’t get the gold medal," Loh reflected after the match. "Kunlavut attacks and defends well, and is very smart tactically. Most of my shots are going to come back... it comes down to who gets more tired and who gives up first mentally and physically."
Kunlavut, who extended his head-to-head tally against Loh to 9-2, echoed the camaraderie: "We learn from each other because he is good at attacking, and I am good at defending. He is a very good player, but today he made more errors."
Slaying Giants En Route to the Podium
Loh’s silver-medal campaign served as a clinic in resilience, contrasting sharply with his early exit at the Hangzhou edition three years prior. Along his path to the final, the former world champion navigated a gauntlet of elite contenders:
Lakshya Sen (India, World No. 14): A controlled baseline showdown
Justin Hoh (Malaysia, World No. 48): A clinical straight-set victory
Jonatan Christie (Indonesia, World No. 1): Landmark victory snapping a 10-match losing streak against his long-time nemesis
Yoo Tae-bin (South Korea, World No. 46): A gutsy semi-final battle to book his finals berth
Photo: Team Singapore
Between anime-inspired celebratory poses and high-octane smashes, Loh displayed a renewed tactical maturity that sets a strong foundation ahead of the Olympic qualifying cycle commencing in May 2027.
His immediate priority, however, shifts to rehabilitation. Trailing 15-19 in the final game, Loh suffered a recurrence of the abdominal strain that sidelined him in June, requiring careful medical oversight before his next competitive outing.
Rounding Up the Nagoya Finals: Korea & Indonesia Strike Gold
The final day of badminton action in Nagoya delivered high-voltage drama across all divisions:
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Women’s Singles: South Korea’s world No. 1 An Se-young underlined her absolute supremacy, dismantling Japan’s home favorite Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-9 to retain her Asian Games crown and secure her eighth tournament title of 2026.
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Women’s Doubles: Korean duo Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na outdueled China’s top seeds Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning 26-28, 21-18, 21-18 in a grueling 111-minute marathon.
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Men’s Doubles: Indonesia’s Leo Carnando and Daniel Marthin pulled off an upset over China’s world No. 3 tandem Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, rallying 19-21, 21-13, 21-18.
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Mixed Doubles: China extended its gold-medal streak at every Asian Games since 1998 as Jiang Zhenbang and Wei Yaxin swept Indonesia’s Amri Syahnawi and Nita Marwah 21-19, 21-8.