Vision-impaired Taiwanese singer Ricky Hsiao (蕭煌奇) won a gold medal in judo at the 2025 Summer World Masters Games yesterday.
Hsiao, a four-time winner of Best Male Taiwanese Singer and a three-time recipient of Best Taiwanese Album at Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards, triumphed in the para- judo 90-kilogram weight class.
Hsiao secured the gold medal after achieving two consecutive wins at the competition, taking down opponents including Taiwanese vision-impaired bassist Kuo Chien- cheng (郭謙成) whom Hsiao professionally collaborates with in their respective music careers.
Photo: CNA
After his win, Hsiao spoke to reporters about entering the sports event with a shoulder injury, admitting he was very worried about making it worse.
Hsiao said that even his doctor advised him to withdraw from the competition, but he decided to push through because he had already signed up.
He added that he also wanted to set an example for others who enjoy sports and to remind himself that there are not many things to fear in life.
“So I felt like I had to compete,” he said, “even if I got some injuries.”
The 2025 Summer World Masters Games was not Hsiao’s first foray into an international sports event as a judoka.
The 48-year-old singer has represented Taiwan multiple times as a para-athlete throughout his life, with his most memorable achievement being a bronze medal at the 1994 FESPIC Games (Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled) held in Beijing, China.
The most prestigious competition Hsiao fought in was the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta, Georgia, where he took seventh place for judo.
Hsiao said yesterday that both sport and music play important roles in his life.
“To me, both are very important,” Hsiao said. “Sport gives me great motivation to create good music, so winning medals in both fields makes me feel accomplished.”
Marta Kostyuk’s maiden WTA 1000 title in Madrid came on Saturday thanks to her power, poise and a pair of unexpected lucky shorts. The world No. 23 beat eighth-ranked Mirra Andreeva 6-3, 7-5 in under 90 minutes to secure the most prestigious trophy of her career, her third professional singles title and second in less than a month after Rouen. Yet as the 23-year-old Ukrainian posed for photographs at the Caja Magica, it was not just the silverware that caught the eye. Held alongside her team and her two dogs, Kostyuk showed off a piece of black men’s underwear, prompting
Lin Yun-ju on Thursday handed Taiwan two key victories as they advanced to the semi-finals of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London. The Taiwan men’s table tennis team beat Sweden 3-2 in five singles matches. The 24-year-old Lin, Taiwan’s top-ranked player at world No. 7 and nicknamed the “Silent Assassin,” opened the tie by defeating world No. 2 Truls Moregard 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 13-11) before clinching the deciding fifth match with a 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-5) win over Anton Kallberg to hand his team the overall victory. Kuo Guan-hong put Taiwan up 2-0 with a 3-2 (4-11, 11-8, 8-11,
Throwing more than US$5 billion at a divisive new tour and walking away after five seasons does not look like good business, but LIV Golf was not all bad news for Saudi Arabia. Oil-funded LIV, which poached top stars and sent golf’s establishment into a tailspin, helped push the conservative kingdom into global view — one of its key aims, experts said. The exit, confirmed on Thursday after weeks of speculation, does not signal a flight of Saudi money from sport, even after the Middle East war that sparked Iranian attacks around the Gulf, they said. “Saudi Arabia is not
Arsenal stormed six points clear at the top of the English Premier League as Bukayo Saka and Viktor Gyokeres put Fulham to the sword in a 3-0 win, while West Ham United’s defeat at Brentford offered Tottenham Hotspur a lifeline in the battle for survival. The Gunners have stumbled toward the finish line in their quest for a first league title in 22 years, blowing a sizeable lead over Manchester City in a series of nervous displays. However, the return of Saka, making his first start in six weeks, freed up Mikel Arteta’s men in a dominant performance that shrugged
RSS