SINGAPORE: One week was all badminton player Loh Kean Yew had between the end of his quarantine after the Tokyo Olympics and the start of a new adventure.

But he was raring to go. After all, it isn’t often you get the chance to train with an Olympic champion.

The 24-year-old is currently in Dubai on a month-long training stint with Dane Viktor Axelsen and four badminton players from across the globe – Englishman Toby Penty, Canadian Brian Yang, Swede Felix Burestedt and India’s Sen Lakshya.

“It’s always good to have overseas training opportunities to see how other people from other countries train and learn from each other – like different playing styles, different playing methods ... This is a very good opportunity, so I didn’t want to miss this,” Loh told CNA.

“Furthermore, he (Axelsen) is an Olympic champion ... like how many times can you train with an Olympic champion?”

Currently ranked second in the world, 27-year-old Axelsen beat China’s Chen Long in straight games to clinch the men’s singles title in Tokyo.

Discussions for a possible training stint began some time ago, revealed Loh.

“I trained with him (Axelsen) quite a bit when I was playing in the Denmark league that time, then I went to train with the (Danish) national team (for a few days)  ... Then in 2020, we talked about it. He texted me and asked whether I was interested in this training camp where they get players from around the world, all around the world, to help each other improve,” said Loh, who had trained with Denmark's Langhoj Badminton Club for three months in 2018.

“He said that he should (be able) to make it happen but it would be after the Olympics.”

"VERY TIRING AND VERY FOCUSED"

As part of his training regime in Dubai, Loh puts in double sessions six days a week – two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon from Sunday to Friday.

“We have both technique, skills training and also physical training, like drills. It’s more of all of us training together,” he explained.