Fang Jen-yu overcomes odds, soaring to new heights as a Paralympic athlete using just one arm
Description
At the Tokyo Olympics, Taiwan secured one gold and one silver medal in badminton thanks to the men's doubles "Lin-Yang Pair" made up of Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟), and the women's singles badminton ace Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎). This time, in addition to the Lin-Yang Pair and badminton ace, the men's singles player Chou Tien-chen (周天成) and mixed doubles team of Yeh Hong-wei (葉宏蔚) and Li Chia-Hsin (李佳馨) remain key contenders for Olympic medals. Badminton is being seen by many as Taiwan's "new national sport."
The Paralympic Games will take place following the Summer Olympics, and Taiwan will also have a high-ranking athlete competing, Fang Jen-yu (方振宇), who is currently ranked second in the world. Although his left arm's brachial plexus has been damaged since birth leaving him with just one arm to play with, his lightning-fast speed and powerful strikes have made a significant impact in the sport. At the previous Tokyo Paralympics, where badminton was included for the first time, Fang won fourth place and was honored as the flag bearer for Taiwan at the closing ceremony, garnering plenty of attention.
This year, Fang Jen-yu is making his second attempt at the Paralympics with his sights set directly on the gold medal. "My original dream was that my left hand would recover," he says. Now, using his right hand as a national athlete, Fang Jen-yu no longer views his left hand as a "regret." He motivates himself with the spirit of Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei, who pursued Olympic gold for 12 years without giving up, and considers simply standing on the competition stage as a great victory.
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