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
Citigroup Inc plans to exit retail banking in 13 markets across Asia, and the region of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The bank would instead operate its consumer-banking franchise in both regions from four wealth centers in Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and London, it said yesterday in a statement. The move is part of an ongoing review of the company’s strategy by chief executive officer Jane Fraser, who took over last month. “This positions us to capture the strong growth and attractive returns the wealth-management business offers through these important hubs,” Fraser said. Citigroup is to exit its consumer
‘IMPORTANT PARTNER’: The new guidelines aim to encourage US engagement with Taiwan, which reflects a deepening relationship, the US Department of State said The US Department of State on Friday issued new guidelines governing US officials’ interactions with their Taiwanese counterparts, a move welcomed by Taipei as turning a new page in bilateral relations. Shortly before leaving office, then-US secretary of state Mike Pompeo on Jan. 9 announced the cancelation of previous contact guidelines, which he said were “self-imposed restrictions” that attempted to appease the Chinese Communist Party regime in Beijing. However, the status of the guidelines has been unclear since US President Joe Biden entered the White House. Asked about the issue during a legislative session on Thursday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu
CONFIDENTIAL: The trip had not been made public until just before ex-senator Chris Dodd, and ex-state department officials Richard Armitage and James Steinberg arrived The government yesterday welcomed an “unofficial” delegation sent by US President Joe Biden, while another delegation led by US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry was headed to Shanghai. Biden’s first delegation to Taiwan is made up of former US senator Chris Dodd, and former US deputy secretaries of state Richard Armitage and James Steinberg. They are to stay in Taiwan until tomorrow. Their arrival, on a chartered flight, had been kept confidential until media reported the visit yesterday morning, after which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a short notice that they were expected to arrive at 2:40pm. The flight landed at
‘IDEAL FIT’: A report on Sunday said that the Canadian government threatened to pull its support and funding from the HFX if the award was given to the president The government would respect the decision of the organizer of the John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service on whether it plans to award a prize to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. The statement was issued after US Web site Politico reported a day earlier that the Canadian government had warned the Halifax International Security Forum (HFX) not to give the award to Tsai for fear of provoking Beijing. “The ministry believes that if the Halifax International Security Forum confers the prize upon President Tsai, it would be an affirmation and honor for both