Taipe: An international badminton match between two Taiwanese pairs at the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, took an unexpected turn on Wednesday when a pro-China spectator loudly asserted that "Taiwan is part of China," Taiwan News reported.
The disruption occurred during a group-stage men's doubles match featuring Taiwan's Olympic gold medallists Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin against fellow countrymen Yang Po-hsuan and Lee Jhe-huei.
The match, held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gym, saw Lee and Wang lose the first set 16-21 before staging a thrilling comeback, winning the next two sets 21-16 and 21-18 to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
As the intense match unfolded, a woman in the audience interrupted during a timeout by shouting at Lee and Wang, "Lin-Yang, Taiwan is part of China, do you know that?"
Her comments were met with cheers from some spectators, leading to a clash of chants between Chinese fans yelling "China" and Taiwanese fans responding with "Taiwan," reported Taiwan News.
Despite the disruption, Lee and Wang maintained their focus, smiling wryly while waiting for the results of a challenge.
Neither athlete commented directly on the incident after the match, choosing instead to focus on the game and their camaraderie, Taiwan News reported.
Lee later reflected on social media, saying, "Each match I play now is one less, and every match everyone watches is one less. Like everyone, I cherish every moment on the court. Thank you, Chi-lin, Jhe-huei, and Po-hsuan. We agreed to play with joy and smile more 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 continued.
Wang also shared his gratitude for the experience, stating, "This familiar feeling makes me cherish every moment of the 'Lin-Yang duo.'"