Loh Kean Yew: fans donate money to celebrate world champion’s historic achievement
Following his momentous win at the 2021 BWF World Championship in Huelva members of the public were surprised to hear the Singaporean did not receive any prize money. Now they're stepping in to change that.
Badminton
When Loh Kean Yew bested Srikanth Kidambi of India at the BWF 2021 World Championships last month in Huelva history was made; the 24-year-old had succeeded in becoming Singapore’s first ever badminton world champion.
The shuttler enjoyed remarkable campaign in Spain, which included a shock win against world number one and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen.
On learning that Loh did not pick up any winnings after his victory at the championships fans of the shuttler decided themselves to rally funds to celebrate his win.
Wei Chan, a businessman and keen shuttler, launched the “Loh Kean Yew Encouragement Fund” to recognise his compatriot’s achievement.
“I felt compelled to do something to thank him for what he has achieved for himself and Singapore, and further encourage him towards his badminton hopes and dreams,” wrote Chan on the campaign platform Ray of Hope.
"Having gone through rigorous training of sorts, I know the amount of sheer hard work, perseverance, tenacity and grit that is required for Loh Kean Yew to achieve what he did, love for the game."
It appears many Singaporeans are in accordance with Chan who kickstarted the donations along with four other business leaders.
At the time of writing, the fund which, was launched on January 2, 2022 currently sits at $94,236 and includes contributions from over 260 donors.
READ MORE: Loh Kean Yew becomes Singapore's first badminton world champion
Singapore Badminton Loh Kean Yew on becoming World Champion
Loh, who is now ranked number 10 in the world following his exploits in Huelva, was delighted with his tournament, which to date, is his greatest ever career win.
“I’m super, super happy. This feels like a dream, and now it’s a dream come true," the Tokyo 2020 Olympian shared with The Straits Times. Now his focus is on delivering the next top prize:
“I’m honoured to deliver this first gold for Singapore. I know many Singaporeans have been staying up to follow my progress, and I want to thank everyone for their support and for being a huge motivation.
“I feel I have improved over the past few months, but I still have a long way to go to be where I want to be, and I will continue to work hard to be even better as I chase my dream of winning an Olympic medal for Singapore.”