Taiwanese badminton duo Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) yesterday won the nation’s first Olympic gold medal in the sport when they prevailed over a third-seeded Chinese pair in the final of the men’s doubles at the Tokyo Olympics.
Lee and Wang, both first-time Olympians, defeated Liu Yuchen (劉雨辰) and Li Junhui (李俊慧) 21-18, 21-12 in a 34-minute final at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza.
As of yesterday, Taiwan had bagged seven medals in Tokyo — two golds, two silvers and three bronzes — topping its previous best of five medals in 2000 and 2004.
Photo: AFP
Taiwan moved to No. 17 in the medals count on the Tokyo Olympics Web site.
China, Japan and the US placed first, second and third respectively.
Earlier, Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) knocked India’s Pusarla V. Sindhu out of the women’s singles semi-finals in a clash between two of badminton’s best players.
Photo: EPA-EFE
In the first game, which world No. 1 Tai won 21-18 against Rio de Janeiro silver medalist and seventh-ranked Pusarla, the pair were evenly matched.
However, Tai picked up the pace in the second game, finishing Pusarla off 21-12 in 19 minutes.
“I reduced my mistakes and therefore didn’t have as much pressure on me,” Tai said, adding that she was not yet nervous about playing in today’s final against China’s second-ranked Chen Yufei (陳雨菲), but probably would be just before the match.
“I need to go back and relax and prepare for tomorrow, because it’s not over yet,” Pusarla said, with her eye on bronze in a match against China’s He Bingjiao (何冰嬌).
Chen overcame teammate He in the other semi-final in a battle of wills that the former won 21-16, 13-21, 21-12 and celebrated with a roar.
Earlier on Saturday, 34-year-old Kevin Cordon, who at age 12 moved from rural Zacapa in Guatemala to the capital city to pursue his dreams of reaching the Olympics, crushed South Korea’s Heo Kwang-hee 21-13, 21-18 to make the semi-finals.
Cordon, who ranks 59th in the world, has a shot at winning Guatemala’s second-ever Olympic medal.
“I play really hard with my heart. I don’t think, I just play,” said an exhilarated, red-eyed Cordon, who fell to the floor and curled up sobbing at the end of the match.
“It’s not easy for us as a country — there are more important things in Guatemala to support than sport,” said Cordon, who is named after England soccer great Kevin Keegan. “That’s our reality.”
Cordon faces Denmark’s world No. 2 Viktor Axelsen, who beat China’s Shi Yuqi (石宇奇) 21-13, 21-13.
Denmark’s Anders Antonsen was knocked out in the quarter-finals 21-18, 15-21, 21-18 by Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia.
Ginting next meets China’s Chen Long (諶龍), who beat Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen (周天成) 21-14, 9-21, 21-14 with a tight net game and sharp smashes.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS