Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew made history at the Asian Games in Nagoya by becoming the first Singaporean to reach the men’s singles badminton final, ultimately securing a silver medal after a straight-set loss to Thailand’s world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn on September 29.

The 29-year-old seventh seed was defeated 21-12, 21-16 by Kunlavut, a longtime training partner and close rival. Despite the defeat, Loh’s achievement marked a significant milestone for Singapore badminton, which had only previously earned a bronze medal in the women’s team event at the 2006 Asian Games.

During the match, Loh showed promise by briefly leading 7-6 in the first game and 14-13 in the second, but a series of unforced errors allowed Kunlavut to maintain control. Loh acknowledged the mental and physical challenges of competing against such a skilled opponent, describing the contest as exhausting. “He is very smart with tactical play. Most of my shots come back, so I had to keep pushing through physically and mentally,” Loh said. He expressed pride in making history while noting his disappointment at missing out on gold.

Kunlavut, who extended his head-to-head advantage to 9-2, praised Loh’s attacking style while crediting their mutual rivalry and training partnership for improving both players.

Loh’s path to the final included notable victories over several highly ranked opponents. He defeated world No. 14 Lakshya Sen of India, Malaysia’s Justin Hoh (ranked 48th), Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie—world No. 1 and 2018 champion—and South Korea’s Yoo Tae-bin (ranked 46th). Overcoming Christie was particularly significant, as Loh ended a losing streak against the Indonesian that had stretched to 10 consecutive matches.

However, Loh sustained an abdominal strain during the final, a recurrence of an injury first sustained in June. He indicated that recovery would be crucial moving forward, as he prepares for Olympic qualification starting in May 2027. “I gained confidence from this result but need to restart my recovery process,” he said.

In the women’s singles final earlier in the day, South Korea’s world No. 1 An Se-young maintained her dominance by defeating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-9 to capture her eighth title of the year. An’s remarkable 2026 season features 56 wins out of 57 matches, with 49 victories achieved in straight sets. South Korea also secured additional badminton gold when the pair of Lee So-hee and Baek Ha-na beat China’s duo in the women’s doubles final.

Loh’s coach highlighted his athlete’s growth and maturity, recognizing Loh’s developing understanding of his game and career. Support from his coaching team is expected to remain a key factor as Loh continues to build on this breakthrough performance.