Lin Yu-mao, a 104-year-old badminton player from Taiwan, would compete in the upcoming World Masters Games in Taipei and New Taipei City, the Taipei Department of Information and Tourism announced on Monday.
The department made the announcement at a news event to promote the 10th edition of the quadrennial event, which is to take place from May 17 to 31 in the neighboring cities.
The last edition of the international games was held in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2017.
Photo: Liu Yong-yun, Taipei Times
More than 2,000 athletes aged 65 or above would compete in the Games, with 15 participants aged 90 or above, including eight from Taiwan.
Four of those eight attended Monday’s news conference. The oldest was the 104-year-old Lin, whom the department highlighted as the Guinness World Records-certified oldest shuttler.
Lin attended the event in red, a color that he said makes people look energetic.
He said the secret to longevity was to exercise, singing and doing good deeds.
He initially practiced tai chi to stay young, but after realizing that he could get applause when playing badminton well, he switched to become a shuttler at the age of 50, he said.
Aside from Lin, woodball player Su Chen-tsun, and swimmers Chen Yen-ti and Lin Ju-tsung were also at the Monday event.
The 93-year-old Su said that with more than 20 years of experience in the sport, he is confident that he would keep the woodball gold medal at home in Taiwan.
Meanwhile, Chen said he has not only kept up swimming 1,600m twice a week, he also rides a bicycle and practices qigong to stay healthy.
With all of his athleticism, the 95-year-old Chen said he expected he would break his own national record in the 50m backstroke for people aged 90 to 94.
The 90-year-old Lin Ju-tsung’s advice to young athletes was the importance of a dive during a swim meet.
While Lin Yu-mao is Taiwan’s oldest athlete, the Taipei department announced that the oldest participant at this year’s quadrennial athletic event is a Thai centenarian track-and-field athlete who is 105.
Taipei Deputy Mayor Lin Yi-hua said that this edition of the World Masters Games attracted more than 25,000 applications.
The presence of more than 2,000 “ageless” athletes who are 65 or above would be in line to deliver the games’ motto, “sports beyond age and life without limits,” she said.
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