Chuang Chih-yuan and Chen Chien-an will each receive NT$900,000 (US$30,033) from the government in recognition of their historic win over China in the men’s doubles category at the World Table Tennis Championships on Sunday in Paris, France.
It was Taiwan’s first gold medal since it began competing in the world championships in 1985.
“This is an important milestone in our table tennis history,” Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association secretary-general Chen Ching-yen said.
Photo: AFP
Chuang and Chen Chien-an toppled their formidable Chinese opponents, Ma Lin and Hao Shuai, 4-2 (9-11, 12-10, 11-6, 13-11, 9-11 and 11-8) to secure the title.
Taiwan’s previous best result at the event had been a silver medal won by Chen Jing in the women’s singles 20 years ago.
“This is the first time in our history, so this is a good result,” said 32-year-old Chuang, a veteran player who ranks sixth in the world. “We played well and did very well tactically, both serving and receiving.”
Chuang was full of praise for his 21-year-old partner, Chen Chien-an.
“I think [he] is a very tactical player, he’s powerful and I play well with him,” the right-hander said.
Chen Chien-an, 28th in the world rankings, has enjoyed growing attention since he beat China’s Zhang Jike, last year’s Olympics men’s singles gold medalist, at the World Team Classic in March.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said he was excited by the victory and was quoted as saying: “It’s a hard-won achievement that highlights the Taiwan spirit of perseverance and fortitude.”
Ma Lin, the 2008 Olympics table tennis singles champion and a four-time World Cup winner, praised the Taiwanese team as worthy winners.
“The team is a very good one, so it’s no surprise we lost,” Ma Lin said.
Hao struck a similar chord, saying: “We did well today but our opponents did better than us.”
The 34-year-old Ma Lin, who was appearing in his ninth and final World Championships, also announced his impending plans to retire from the Chinese team.
“After this championship I think will quit the national team of China because at my age I have to rethink my career and my life, but for now I don’t have any exact information. I don’t have the exact plans. I will tell the media when I get more information,” he said.
The Taiwanese duo’s surprise victory squashed China’s hopes of taking its 11th consecutive title at the world championships.
In Sunday’s game, the focus was almost entirely on the Chinese team and the result came as a surprise to many spectators.
In Taiwan, netizens celebrated the hard-won victory.
“The duo is the pride of Taiwan. A new era is dawning in our table tennis history,” one netizen wrote on PTT, the nation’s largest bulletin-board system.
Additional reporting by Reuters
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency as well as long-term residency in Taiwan has decreased, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday, adding that the reduction of Chinese spouses staying or living in Taiwan is only one facet reflecting the general decrease in the number of people willing to get married in Taiwan. The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency last year was 7,123, down by 2,931, or 29.15 percent, from the previous year. The same census showed that the number of Chinese spouses applying for long-term residency and receiving approval last year stood at 2,973, down 1,520,
EASING ANXIETY: The new guide includes a section encouraging people to discuss the threat of war with their children and teach them how to recognize disinformation The Ministry of National Defense’s All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency yesterday released its updated civil defense handbook, which defines the types of potential military aggression by an “enemy state” and self-protection tips in such scenarios. The agency has released three editions of the handbook since 2022, covering information from the preparation of go-bags to survival tips during natural disasters and war. Compared with the previous edition, released in 2023, the latest version has a clearer focus on wartime scenarios. It includes a section outlining six types of potential military threats Taiwan could face, including destruction of critical infrastructure and most undersea cables, resulting in