An international badminton match between two Taiwanese pairs took an unexpected turn at the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China
The disturbance happened during a men’s doubles match in the group stage between Yang Po-hsuan and Lee Jhe-huei, two of Taiwan’s competitors, and Olympic gold medallists Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin.
Lee and Wang lost the first set 16-21 in the match at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gym, but they made a spectacular comeback, winning the following two sets 21-16 and 21-18 to guarantee a place in the semi-finals.
“Lin-Yang, Taiwan is part of China; do you know that?” A lady in the crowd yelled at Lee and Wang during a stoppage as the fierce battle progressed.
A brawl of shouts broke out between Taiwanese supporters shouting “Taiwan” and Chinese fans shouting “China” when some spectators cheered her remarks, according to Taiwan News.
Lee and Wang remained focused in spite of the interruption, grinning cynically as they awaited the outcome of a challenge.
According to Taiwan News, neither athlete addressed the event immediately after the game, preferring to concentrate on the competition and their friendship.
“Every match I play now is one less, and every match everyone watches is one less,” Lee subsequently said on social media. I treasure every second I spend on the court, just like everyone else. Chi-lin, Jhe-huei, and Po-hsuan, thank you. We decided to have more fun and grin more when playing on the court.
“Even though our first match was an internal battle, it felt great to be back on the court with you all,” she said.
“This familiar feeling makes me cherish every moment of the ‘Lin-Yang duo.'” Wang also expressed his appreciation for the event.
