Back with his protege, Kelvin Ho is happy to do what’s best for Loh Kean Yew

NAGOYA – As Loh Kean Yew celebrated his historic silver medal feat in Asian Games badminton on Sept 29, a familiar figure stood by his side.

Kelvin Ho, who was Loh’s coach when the Singaporean became the world champion in 2021, has helped the player reach two finals in six months since returning as the national singles assistant head coach.

And both were breakthroughs. In May, Loh finally qualified for his first Singapore Open final, followed by the Republic’s best result in Asiad badminton as Loh won a silver at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

Ho, 36, told The Straits Times: “I’m proud of the journey we had together and grateful that the work we did contributed to his development.”

Yet, things might have turned out differently.

In 2025, when the duo were under pressure while Loh endured an 833-day title drought after becoming world champion, Ho was redesignated from national singles head coach to take over the national training squad (NTS) as the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) considered hiring separate men’s and women’s singles head coaches.

While the criticism was unsettling, both coach and player felt “it was the right time for a change and a different environment for both of us”. Ho saw the NTS role, which he still retains, as an opportunity to nurture the next generation while also growing as a coach himself.

Without a trace of bitterness, Ho said: “Sometimes, giving each other space and allowing new experiences can be beneficial for both the player and the coach.”

In stepped Kim Ji-hyun, who was originally appointed as national women’s singles head coach, but later also took charge of the men’s singles players as the SBA could not find a suitable candidate.

However, the South Korean left 15 months into her two-year contract after Loh, Jason Teh and Yeo Jia Min won a total of four Badminton World Federation World Tour titles, and the SBA called upon Ho again.

Taking the developments in his stride, Ho said: “Every coach faces different opinions and perspectives, especially when expectations are high.

“Foreign coaches can bring different experiences, methodologies and perspectives, while local coaches bring their own understanding of the athletes and the environment. Ultimately, it is about finding the right combination for the player at the right stage of their career.”

Ho’s ability to make the best of every situation, even when it seemed bleak at first, is nothing new. Like Loh, he had quit school at 17 to pursue the sport full time, and was part of a bronze-winning SEA Games team in 2009.

But two years later, the SBA disbanded its national team 2, which he was part of, leaving him lost.

After accepting a youth coach position with the SBA nine months later, he got to know a “raw but talented” Loh, who was then a Singapore Sports School student training with the national youth set-up, starting a coach-player partnership that lasted 13 years before it was reprised.

Loh described their relationship with the Chinese saying “A teacher for a day, a father for life”.

The 29-year-old added: “Even when he was not a national coach, he was there during training. I know he is always happy to help me whenever I need help and we are still in this journey together.”

Ho, a father of two, said they have gone through many stages of Loh’s career together, adding: “Kean Yew is now a mature athlete... He has his own thoughts and ideas about his career, understands his game and knows the areas he needs to work on.

“I respect that. My role is to provide guidance, share my experience and support him whenever he needs it.”

Ho himself has become a more all-rounded and composed coach, displaying less chest-thumping bravado and becoming a calmer adviser on the sidelines.

He said: “I realised every player learns differently, and sometimes the simplest things – communication, clarity and consistency – can make the biggest difference. Even experienced senior players sometimes need clear guidance and communication.”

The coach modestly credited the recent feats to Loh’s “hunger to improve, willingness to learn and ability to handle pressure”. He also hailed the support of SBA and High Performance Sport Institute staff, teammates and sparring partners.

While the player’s results give him validation, he said: “What encourages me most is seeing the player develop, understand his game better and become more independent in making decisions on court and in his career.”

ST understands that Ho is likely to keep his current role as the SBA searches for foreign head coach candidates. But would he like to be the head coach again?

He said: “I want to continue contributing at the highest level. Whether I take on the head coach role again depends on what is best for the players, the team and the overall programme. Ultimately, being able to help them develop, perform and represent Singapore well are what matter most to me.”

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