PETALING JAYA: It was a painful blow to shuttler Loh Wei Sheng’s hopes to guarantee a Youth Olympic Games medal for Malaysia in badminton when he limped out of the boys’ singles semi-final match against Pisit Poodchalat at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last night.

The Asian junior runner-up was forced to concede a walkover to the Thai while trailing 3-11 in the rubber game after having sprained his ankle in the second game, which he won 21-19. Wei Sheng had lost the first game 13-21.

Wei Sheng, who stepped out of court in the second game to seek treatment for the injury, had to throw in the towel when the pain became unbearable in the decider.

It remains to be seen whether Wei Sheng will be able to recover in time to play in the bronze medal playoff match against Kang Ji-wook of South Korea tonight.

Top seed and world junior runner-up Ji-wook was beaten 21-19, 17-21, 17-21 by H.S. Prannoy of India in the other semi-final.

The Badminton Association of Malaysia coordinator for the junior programme, How Kim Tho, said that it was unfortunate for Wei Sheng was not able to fight all the way for a place in the final.