--- title: "Loh Kean Yew learning not to care about everything in New Delhi; Fatherhood reshapes priorities ahead of World Championships" sdDatePublished: "2026-08-17T14:07:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/badminton-loh-kean-yew-exclusive-interview-2026" topics: - name: "badminton" identifier: "medtop:20000847" - name: "sport event" identifier: "medtop:20001108" - name: "human interest" identifier: "medtop:08000000" - name: "family" identifier: "medtop:20000780" - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" locations: - "Huelva" - "Los Angeles" - "Penang" - "Shahdara" - "Île-de-France" - "Spain" - "Malaysia" - "Singapore" --- Loh Kean Yew learning not to care about everything in New Delhi; Fatherhood reshapes priorities ahead of World Championships BWF World Championships 2026: Singapore's Loh Kean Yew on learning not to care about everything - Exclusive BWF World Championships 2026: Singapore's Loh Kean Yew on learning not to care about everything - Exclusive The 2021 men's badminton world champion has found perspective on life and his craft after becoming a proud dad of a son during the summer of Paris 2024. In a revealing interview, he tells Olympics.com all about the transformation. Loh Kean Yew missed the podium at the Paris 2024 Olympics , to his misfortune drawing good friend, former training partner and eventual champion Victor Axelsen in the men’s badminton quarter-finals. But Loh came away from his second Games with something more important and far more lasting than a medal - his first child being born that same summer, and a bit of perspective. “I mean you can't really stop listening to things or what people say, right?” Loh said during a wide-range conversation with Olympics.com ahead of the BWF World Championships 2026 kicking off in New Delhi this week. “But after my son was born it was like, 'you can just say whatever you want, man'. It doesn't really affect me that much anymore. “I think the priority shifted. You know, after being a dad, after you see your son, what your wife goes through... There's so much that you have to care about in the world because you need to prioritise your energy and spend a lot on your wife or baby. "I think my mindset just takes over. There is a lot [to think about]. I don't have to take everything so seriously in anything other than my family. So basically I only need to care about what my family feels. Other than that, I just do my best.” BWF World C'ships 2026 draw: World Nos. 1 Shi Yuqi, An Seyoung discover opponents A new take on life and badminton: Loh Kean Yew cares, but doesn’t care Singapore’s star shuttler is two years into fatherhood. Ahead of LA28, which would be his third Olympic Games, it’s given the 29-year-old something more than wins and titles – perspective. Loh Kean Yew on 2021 world title: "Curse or blessing? I would rather take it as a blessing" It’s been five years since Loh won the world championships in Huelva, Spain, his first and only major title to date. It made him a sensation in his home country Singapore and with it, expectations soared, some of it merited, others not. Since capturing the world title, Loh, while flashing signs of big things behind his athleticism, has not exactly been hoarding one trophy after another. In the intervening period, he has won just two titles on the tour, a pair of Super 300 tournaments in the 2024 Spain Masters and 2025 Taipei Open. This season, Loh became the first men’s singles home finalist at the Singapore Open in 24 years , only to come up short against 2025 European champion Alex Lanier in the end. Naturally, with the disparity in expectations and results, Loh has become an unfortunate target of social media venom from time to time, and admits the noise has been “difficult” to navigate through the last several years. But Loh does not, however, consider being world champion as a “curse” of some kind. He wears everything he has achieved since moving to Singapore from his native Penang, Malaysia, at the age of 13 like a badge of honour. “Honestly to me, since young, I've always believed that I can make it to the world stage,” said Loh, who is now 29 and has celebrated two Father’s Days as a dad. “I didn't know when but I believed that I could. But honestly, it was a little bit earlier than I expected. So if you ask me if it's a curse, I would say no because it will have come eventually. “It's just rather when and [then] learn to adapt to the situation. So it came earlier than expected and I just adapted earlier than when I thought I should. Is it a curse or a blessing? I would rather take it as a blessing. “But any time that happened, it's going to be what it was - so even if it actually happened this year, then I will have all the difficulties this year, so it's really the same to me. It's just that everything happened earlier.” Singapore's Loh Kean Yew says "anything can happen at the Olympic Games." Loh on 15-point system: "I have no idea how things will turn out" LA28 would be Loh’s third Olympic appearance. At Tokyo 2020 , he didn't make it out of the group phase and was outclassed in straight sets by Axelsen in the last eight in Paris two years ago. With Axelsen, the two-time defending champion, having retired, the men’s singles race appears to be wide open. In the world rankings, the gap between the People’s Republic of China’s Shi Yuqi - who has held the No. 1 spot since 15 April - and the rest is beginning to shrivel. Loh is currently ranked 13th. Badminton is also bracing for the huge wrench that will be thrown next season, with the ushering of the 3x15 scoring system replacing the first-to-21 format. Who will emerge on top of the podium in Los Angeles two summers from now is anyone’s guess, including Loh's. “I have no idea how things will turn out and we have been - or rather ever since I started playing badminton - it has always been 21 points so I think it might take a while to get used to it, maybe? Or maybe not? I don't know. “I think it's going be different from 21 points for sure in the sense that it's going to be shorter time, it's going be higher intensity yeah, and everyone will start to chase the points faster and earlier than 21 points in terms of the timing and rhythm. “I don't really [pay attention to] the ranking and also ranking is just a number. Yes, there's going to be seedings and all but I think now in the men's singles, there are so many good players out there and even if you're not in the top 10, not in the top 20, there are still a lot of very good players." Loh would know. At the 2025 world championships, he was knocked out in the quarter-finals by the then-50th-ranked Victor Lai , the Canadian who is now in the top 10. “I think it's very equalised in a sense," Loh added. “Everyone has a standard, has a level. It's just up to the person that performs at that time and who is more consistent.” But amid all the variables, all the X factors in the men’s singles game, Loh is certain of one thing for 2028: he will not be having another Olympic baby. “Not during the Olympics again. I have to be by my wife's side for the next one. Not going to be during Olympics anymore,” he said. On LA28, Loh says, "I hope to get a medal... I just want to enjoy every moment that I can spend on court." Picture by 2024 Getty Images Badminton World Champs: Preview, schedule, how to watch live action Badminton World Championships 2026 order of play and results Loh Kean Yew at BWF World Championships – schedule Picture by Ankit Roy Majumder Zuma Press Wire via Reuters Connect Badminton | World Championships | New Delhi | India