TAIPEI 2016Spring Vol.03—Focusing World Attention on Taiwan Through Sports:2017 Taipei Summer Universiade Badminton Competitor Tai Tzu-yingPost date：2016-06-15
Updates：2016-08-23
1531
Article ＿ Li-Chin Hsu
Photos ＿ Badminton Photo
“I hope that I can stand on the Olympic Games awards platform to receive a medal for Taiwan,” says the confident Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎), Taiwan’s youngest “badminton queen”. She also hopes that she can bring her standard level of play to the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade, to keep the badminton championship trophy in Taiwan.
Tai is young, but has a commanding presence. Currently, she is ranked third in the world in women’s badminton.
Learning From Those More Experienced Since Childhood, Making It to the Top Internationally
Tai is young, but has had a commanding presence since she was a child. She has developed skills in the sport of badminton that are “beyond her years”. When in the sixth grade, she won the second division championship at the national badminton ranking tournament, and became the youngest person in Taiwan’s history to play in the first division. Starting from 2009 she began entering international tournaments, and has won medals in such events as the US Open Grand Prix Gold, BWF World Superseries Finals, and 2015 Summer Universiade. In August of 2015 she was ranked number three in the world in women’s badminton.
How is it that Tai has achieved so much at such a young age? The answer is somewhat unexpected. When she was small, her parents encouraged her to compete against those older than her to overcome the fear of losing. At first, Tai’s parents took her and her sister to play badminton as a healthy hobby. Later on, on weekends they visited various badminton courts to have her learn from those more experienced. Tai’s father believed that if he allowed his daughter to play against those with more experience she would not be held back by the emotional ups and downs associated with winning and losing. “When I was very little I would play badminton with my mother and father, and would often join competitions around Taiwan with players that were older than me,” says Tai. “Whenever I lost, I took it as a chance to learn, and I accumulated a lot of experience and skills. I also learned that in each competition it is necessary to do my best, and that enjoying the process is more important than the outcome.” Tai believes advantage gained from acompetitor’s slip-up is not as good as squarely defeating an equally matched opponent, which brings more of a feeling of accomplishment.
Support of Family, Focus on Her Sport
Her success has come not only from her hard work. She has been fortunate to have the support of her entire family. The day before a competition, all of her family members mobilize to help prepare her equipment. They also come to the games to cheer her on – even her grandmother. In 2013, her father and mother served as her coaches for a competition in Malaysia, accompanying her abroad. In 2015 her father, Tai Nan-kai (戴楠凱), who currently serves as secretary-general of the Kaohsiung City Badminton Committee (高雄市羽球委員會), received her Sports Elite Award for Best Female Athlete on her behalf. That day was his 50thbirthday, and it can be said that this daughter gave her father the best possible birthday gift. He says that, “These days, sports is the best way of bringing Taiwanese people together, and one of the ways of letting the world see Taiwan. I hope that Tzu-ying will continue to bring glory to this nation.”
In 2014, Tai Tzu-ying won the Hong Kong Open with her superb technique. This was the third badminton Super Series championship for the then 20-yearold.
Tai says that there was a time when she would envy others at her age who could go out and play after school. They did not have to work hard at practice. This made her not want to play badminton. However, when she did stop, she felt that “her life had no focus”. After this, she was even more determined to compete. Recently injured in a tournament, her current training program involves recuperating from her injuries and covering the basics. In addition, before trying to improve it she is working to maintain her current ranking and record, or, in other words, “first keeping the current place” before making use of her strong mindset to face further competition. She wants to perform her best at the Olympic Games and at the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade, and is happy that Taipei will be the host city for the 2017 Summer Universiade, because for her this means she “can have good accommodation and eat well,” and can just focus on the competition. She adds that, “I hope that I can keep the championship trophy in Taiwan.”
Photos ＿ Badminton Photo
“I hope that I can stand on the Olympic Games awards platform to receive a medal for Taiwan,” says the confident Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎), Taiwan’s youngest “badminton queen”. She also hopes that she can bring her standard level of play to the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade, to keep the badminton championship trophy in Taiwan.
Tai is young, but has a commanding presence. Currently, she is ranked third in the world in women’s badminton.
Learning From Those More Experienced Since Childhood, Making It to the Top Internationally
Tai is young, but has had a commanding presence since she was a child. She has developed skills in the sport of badminton that are “beyond her years”. When in the sixth grade, she won the second division championship at the national badminton ranking tournament, and became the youngest person in Taiwan’s history to play in the first division. Starting from 2009 she began entering international tournaments, and has won medals in such events as the US Open Grand Prix Gold, BWF World Superseries Finals, and 2015 Summer Universiade. In August of 2015 she was ranked number three in the world in women’s badminton.
How is it that Tai has achieved so much at such a young age? The answer is somewhat unexpected. When she was small, her parents encouraged her to compete against those older than her to overcome the fear of losing. At first, Tai’s parents took her and her sister to play badminton as a healthy hobby. Later on, on weekends they visited various badminton courts to have her learn from those more experienced. Tai’s father believed that if he allowed his daughter to play against those with more experience she would not be held back by the emotional ups and downs associated with winning and losing. “When I was very little I would play badminton with my mother and father, and would often join competitions around Taiwan with players that were older than me,” says Tai. “Whenever I lost, I took it as a chance to learn, and I accumulated a lot of experience and skills. I also learned that in each competition it is necessary to do my best, and that enjoying the process is more important than the outcome.” Tai believes advantage gained from acompetitor’s slip-up is not as good as squarely defeating an equally matched opponent, which brings more of a feeling of accomplishment.
Support of Family, Focus on Her Sport
Her success has come not only from her hard work. She has been fortunate to have the support of her entire family. The day before a competition, all of her family members mobilize to help prepare her equipment. They also come to the games to cheer her on – even her grandmother. In 2013, her father and mother served as her coaches for a competition in Malaysia, accompanying her abroad. In 2015 her father, Tai Nan-kai (戴楠凱), who currently serves as secretary-general of the Kaohsiung City Badminton Committee (高雄市羽球委員會), received her Sports Elite Award for Best Female Athlete on her behalf. That day was his 50thbirthday, and it can be said that this daughter gave her father the best possible birthday gift. He says that, “These days, sports is the best way of bringing Taiwanese people together, and one of the ways of letting the world see Taiwan. I hope that Tzu-ying will continue to bring glory to this nation.”
In 2014, Tai Tzu-ying won the Hong Kong Open with her superb technique. This was the third badminton Super Series championship for the then 20-yearold.
Tai says that there was a time when she would envy others at her age who could go out and play after school. They did not have to work hard at practice. This made her not want to play badminton. However, when she did stop, she felt that “her life had no focus”. After this, she was even more determined to compete. Recently injured in a tournament, her current training program involves recuperating from her injuries and covering the basics. In addition, before trying to improve it she is working to maintain her current ranking and record, or, in other words, “first keeping the current place” before making use of her strong mindset to face further competition. She wants to perform her best at the Olympic Games and at the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade, and is happy that Taipei will be the host city for the 2017 Summer Universiade, because for her this means she “can have good accommodation and eat well,” and can just focus on the competition. She adds that, “I hope that I can keep the championship trophy in Taiwan.”
