PUBLISHED ONMay 31, 2026 12:54 PMUPDATEDMay 31, 2026 1:15 PMBYEsther LamSingapore badminton star Loh Kean Yew lost to Frenchman Alex Lanier in the men's singles final of the Singapore Badminton Open on Sunday (May 31).
Loh claimed the opening game 21-17 against Lanier, drawing cheers from the crowd, before losing the second set 15-21.
Loh then conceded the last set 14-21.
The US$1 million (S$1.3 million) KFF Singapore Badminton Open was held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Loh will earn US$34,000 from this tournament.
During the prize presentation, the 28-year-old briefly stepped onto the top rung of the podium as his name was announced, before quickly realising his mistake.
The crowd then burst into laughter, along with Loh, who also apologised with a laugh.
Ranked 14th, Loh had booked his place in the championship match with a hard-fought semi-final victory over Japan's Koki Watanabe on Saturday (May 30).
The last Singaporean men's singles winner in this tournament was Wee Choon Seng in 1962.
Loh is set to feature next in the June 2 to 7 Indonesia Open, a Super 1000 event, in Jakarta.
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