'Made us proud': PM Lawrence Wong applauds Loh Kean Yew on his Olympic journey

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong thanked shuttler Loh Kean Yew for giving his best at the Paris Olympics. 

Loh, 27, was knocked out of the quarter-finals after being defeated by Danish player and defending champion Viktor Axelsen at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena on Friday (Aug 2). 

He also scraped his right hand early in the match and had to be taped up to stop the bleeding, according to CNA.

In an Instagram post on Aug 3, PM Wong commended Loh, who is ranked No.12 in the world, for his performance in the Games. 

"It takes courage, grit and determination to compete on the Olympic stage. [Loh] gave his best, and made us proud by reaching the quarter finals. His badminton journey continues to inspire us all," Wong wrote. 

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Loh is the first Singaporean to get into the Olympics badminton quarterfinals in two decades, after Ronald Susilo did so at the 2004 Games in Athens. 

According to CNA, Loh said after his loss: "I lost to a worthy opponent, I lost to my good friend, and I also gave my all," he said. "There's no use crying over split milk, I can only just try again." 

Loh himself also took to social media to thank his supporters and team on Saturday: "Couldn’t have made it this far without you guys... Thank you team for your hard work and support, you have given your all to prep me for this Paris 2024 Olympics." 

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He was quickly flooded with well-wishes from netizens, who said they were proud of him. 

READ ALSO: 'Loving this moment': Fans swoon over Loh Kean Yew's sweet interactions with his parents at Paris Olympics

claudiatan@asiaone.com