Taiwanese table tennis rising star Chen Po-yen on Wednesday advanced to the semifinals of the men’s singles TT11 category at the Paris Paralympics, securing at least a bronze medal despite a scoring error by the referee.
Chen said that his coach, Wei Chun-ta, had written the word “focus” on his palm, which helped him maintain concentration during the match.
At just 17, Chen is the youngest member of Taiwan’s Paralympic team.
Photo: CNA
He experienced cognitive impairment as a child after a fall, but later followed his sister into the world of table tennis.
His relentless determination quickly propelled him into the spotlight. Last year, Chen won the men’s singles championship at the Virtus Global Games, making him the first Taiwanese athlete to qualify for the Paris Paralympics.
He continued his winning streak by claiming gold in the men’s singles at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.
Considered one of Taiwan’s top medal contenders at this year’s Paralympics, Chen faced Belgium’s Florian Van Acker, the 2016 Rio Paralympics gold medalist, in the TT11 men’s singles quarter-finals.
Chen dominated the first two games with scores of 11-9 and 11-7. Despite a setback in the third game, he rallied in the fourth, winning 11-7 to secure his spot in the semi-finals and guarantee a medal.
With this victory, Chen joined teammates Lin Tzu-yu, Tian Shiau-wen and Cheng Ming-chih in ensuring that every member of Taiwan’s Paralympic table tennis team would get a medal.
Speaking to the media after the match, Chen expressed joy at winning a medal in his Paralympic debut, describing it as a huge relief. He also said that seeing the word “focus” written on his palm before every serve was a great help.
Wei said Van Acker was one of the four key opponents they had focused on preparing to play against and they were surprised to face him in the first match.
Chen’s sparring partners worked hard to simulate Van Acker’s style of play, he added.
“Chen performed exceptionally well under pressure today, which has eased our nerves and given us even more confidence as we aim for gold,” Wei said.
A notable moment happened in the first game when a referee’s scoring error briefly disrupted the match. However, Chen remained composed and quickly adjusted.
Wei said that Chen was leading 2-1 when the main referee issued a warning to Van Acker for an illegal serve. However, the assistant referee failed to record the point on the scoreboard, resulting in the rally being replayed.
Reflecting on the situation, Chen said: “I didn’t dwell on it. I just focused on winning the point back.”
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