WORLD UNIVERSITY CHAMPS – Hat trick for Taipei

The hosts from Chinese Taipei scooped three gold medals in the finals of the individual events in the World University Badminton Championships, leaving China with two titles only.

By Raphaël Sachetat.  Photos: Badmintonphoto (archives)

For once, China will not go home with the majority of titles.  After their clean sweep in Paris and Saarbrucken, the Chinese shuttlers left more titles than they brought back to their home base when they were able to take only 2 out of the 5 gold medals at stake in Taipei on Sunday.

The hosts provided the local supporters with some joy as the only battle between Taiwan and China ended in favour of Chen Hung-Ling and Hsieh Pei-Chen who took the lead throughout their mixed doubles battle.  They defeated the Chinese pair Huang Haitao / Cheng Shu 21-11, 21-19.

Hsueh Hsuan-Yi (pictured) lost the first game of the men’s singles final but performed several strong smashes thus turned the tables on Tommy Sugiarto 21-16, 21-14, grabbing the second title for Taiwan after a 75-minute struggle.

The third gold came in the men’s doubles event, more expected than all others as Fang and Lee were much better ranked than their opponents from Thailand but the latter, which was 2009 World Junior Champion Maneepong Jongjit playing with Bodin Isara, put up a great fight and pushed the world’s 5th best pair to a decider for a final 21-16, 19-21, 21-15 success.

China dolls

But of course, China had already won two gold medals before the finals even started in women’s singles and women’s doubles as all of the final shuttlers were from the badminton powerhouse.  Li Xuerui beat her compatriot Liu Xin 21-12, 21-14 before both withdrew from their double’s final against Ma Jin and Cheng Shu, leaving gold to the latter without a fight.

All results HERE