Taipei Travel

Swift and Fierce – An Athlete’s Quest to Show Taiwan to the World
Table Tennis Great Hung-Chieh Chiang Eyes Universiade Gold
Article ＿ Xie Yingjie
Photos ＿ Li Tinghuan, Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

At 180 centimeters in height, Hung-Chieh Chiang (江宏傑 ) is tall and imposing in appearance, yet gentle and courteous in demeanor. He seems to fit the very definition of an idol drama leading man. When he speaks, his expressive eyes overflow with honest laughter. It is difficult to imagine that this is a top-notch, world-ranked table tennis player, known for his razor-sharp focus and extreme accuracy in competitions.
Chiang was the third member of Taiwan’s men’s table-tennis team to qualify for the Rio Olympic Games. He has been a U-12 Junior National Player. As a junior player, he reached number one in the world rankings. He has also claimed numerous gold medals in men’s singles at national championships – National Table Tennis Tournaments. He is a three-time Universiade gold medal winner, in men’s singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles, and a frequent victor on the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) competition circuit. He will now be vying for more medals at the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade. Chiang says that, “The only Universiade gold medal that has eluded me is the one for the men’s team. This is my goal for next year.”

▲ Hung-Chieh Chiang, who has won numerous medals at major international tournaments, wants to scale new heights at the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade. (Photo: Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government )
 
Lack of Interest in Afternoon Naps,
Start of a Glorious Career
When in third grade he didn’t like to take afternoon naps, and as a result was written up every day by the discipline officer. So his teacher instead encouraged him to play table tennis. He never thought that he would develop a keen interest from the moment he started playing, and that table tennis would ultimately become his passion. He became so obsessed with the sport that his family worried that it would impact on his schoolwork. There was even a time that they did not allow him to play. Chiang recalls with a laugh that, “At night, when my mother and father were watching TV, I would be next to them hitting a ball against the wall with my racket paddle. After a while my father got annoyed enough that he finally agreed to let me play on the school team.” To ensure that he would have the opportunity to continue playing, he also gave his all to his schoolwork.
To fulfill his dream, after graduating from elementary school Chiang left his hometown, Hsinchu, to study at the Tainan Table Tennis Training Center (台南桌訓中心 ). This training facility was for the best players, learning from well-known coaches such as Chung-Hsiung Lin (林忠雄 ), Wen-Chia Wu (吳文嘉 ), and Peng-Lung Chiang (蔣澎龍 ). “I had lived in comfort at home,” Chiang recalls. “But, moving to another place, I had to adapt to team life. It was truly difficult. However, being able to play table tennis with my idol Peng-Lung Chiang, that really made me happy.”

With Persistence Comes
the Opportunity for Success
For professional athletes, a chosen sport means a series of training exercises for the body and mind. “When you suffer a setback, you have to continuously tear down and rebuild,” Chiang says. “Through this process of tearing down and rebuilding, you slowly become stronger mentally. Everyone has to face low points. Everyone’s abilities are actually about the same. But, if you can hold on longer than others, maybe for an hour longer or one or two days longer, success over the long term may be yours!”
After many years of competition, Chiang is all the more mentally prepared. Although he will now still feel upset after a loss, he knows that what is more important is that he studies his opponent, and corrects his mistakes to allow for the recovery of his best mental and physical states. Explaining , he says that, “The process of self-healing is not easy. You must find a way to get back on your feet, go back to the table, and grab the next victory.”

Striving for Glory,
Allowing the World to See Taiwan
Currently, Chiang is ranked 76th in the world (highest ranking 47th). To prepare for this year’s Rio Olympics and the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade, his daily training menu has been very full. It includes fitness routine, sprinting, jumping rope, muscle strengthening, and cardio and core training exercises. He notes that, “Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian athletes are my imaginary opponents. If I can complete the most difficult training well, and understand my opponents’ strategies and movements, I will know what to do.”
Of those moments of victory, and standing on a podium to receive a medal, Chiang says that, “When I see our federation flag waving, I get goosebumps. I feel proud and honored to be Taiwanese!” He adds that, with the home-court advantage of the 2017 Universiade, “I really want to win the men’s team gold, and let the world know that Taiwan is a formidable nation!”

▲ (Photo: Li Tinghuan)

Hung-Chieh Chiang’s Medals Record
2006 Men’s singles champion, World Junior Circuit Finals
2007 Men’s doubles bronze medal, men’s team bronze medal, Bangkok Summer Universiade
2008 Men’s singles under 21 division champion, ITTF World Tour Finals
2009 Men’s singles gold medal, mixed doubles gold medal, Belgrade, Serbia Universiade
2013 Men’s doubles gold medal, men’s team bronze medal, Kazan, Russia Universiade
2013 Men’s singles gold medal, men’s doubles gold medal, men’s team gold medal, National Table Tennis Tournament
2015 Men’s doubles gold medal, mixed doubles silver medal, men’s team bronze medal, Gwangju Summer Universiade
2016 Men’s doubles gold medal, National Intercollegiate Athletic Games