Loh Kean Yew was surprised with Lee Zii Jia's progress but acknowledged the world number 10 always had the tools to go far in the game.

"He has always been a strong player that never gave up easily. I think the thing that changed most about him is his height. He has also gotten so powerful now," Loh told Stadium Astro.

The Malaysian-born Loh, who is now Singapore’s leading male shuttler, had grown up together with Lee and Cheam June Wei on the national junior circuit before moving across the Causeway when he was 13.

Loh notably beat Lee in the Under-12 final of the National Junior Grand Prix Finals in 2009, but the Malaysian holds a 3-0 advantage over the Singaporean on the professional circuit.

Of the three wins, the 2019 SEA Games men’s singles final stands out as Lee beat Loh 21-18, 21-18 to strike gold.

But Loh, now ranked 38th in the world, is slowly finding his way to becoming a top player.

The 22-year-old gained worldwide recognition when he beat Lin Dan to win last year’s Thailand Masters, and three things soon became apparent.

His social media following shot up overnight, and he became a wanted ambassador for a lot of brands who wanted him to endorse their products.

Loh has not been able to win another title since, but he has beaten higher ranked shuttlers like Chou Tien-chen (2nd) and Kanta Tsuneyama (11th) this year.

"So far it’s been good, but I still have a long way to go and I am working hard, hoping to make my dream come true," said the Penang-born, who is coping well with the COVID-19 lockdown.

"In fact, I am quite enjoying the lockdown. Everyday we have training and we need to send videos to show what we have done in training. Sometimes we do train together as a team while video calling. I feel everyone will come back more ready than ever."

10 years ago, I joined Singapore Sports School at Secondary 1. I had a dream of becoming a professional player one day and, obviously, Olympics was part of that dream – it still is, and it’s so much closer now. Growing up in the Sports School – training, studying and boarding there – instilled discipline and good time management habits that has helped me get to where I am today. The friends I made spurred me on at each training session. It’s not easy to find likeminded people who share a similar dream and are willing to suffer through the tough times with me, but at Sports School I did. I was also fortunate to have the backing of Singapore Badminton Association through the close partnership between Sports School and SBA, where I got lots of overseas competitive exposure crucial for my sport development. I got to compete with some of the best players in my age-group globally which prepared me for senior level competitions. If someone had told me 7 years ago that I’d beat an Olympic champion to a gold medal in a tournament, I’d have said he was crazy. (Although I would’ve secretly wished he was right!) I travelled so much during the year that it would’ve been nearly impossible to keep up with my studies. But the one-to-one make-up lessons which my teachers tirelessly conducted beyond their teaching hours ensured that I did well in my exams. My friends, coaches, teachers and staff who became like family, continue to support me long after I have graduated. If I had to make a choice again in 2009, I would still choose Singapore Sports School. This is the Sports School experience that I treasure and would never trade away. Head to @singapore_sports_school and click on their link in bio to learn more about the school that nurtured me. Swipe ? to see my younger days photos ? #learnedchampionwithcharacter

A post shared by Loh Kean Yew (@lohkeanyew) on