During her time at the Paralympics in Paris, Taiwanese badminton player Yang Yichen took the stage in three matches and later shared her thoughts with the media. Yang recognized that simply qualifying for the Paralympics is a monumental feat in itself. She expressed her ambition to perform at her best and to savor the competitive experience, emphasizing her hope to demonstrate the results of her hard work over the past year.

Facing a demanding schedule that included two singles matches against Switzerland’s Ilaria Renggli and China’s Li Hongyan, as well as a doubles match alongside her partner Hu Guangqiu, Yang maintained a positive outlook. Even though her team was unable to secure a win in either singles match, she remained unshaken. “I feel incredibly fortunate to compete here, especially against such formidable opponents in my singles group,” Yang stated. “My goal is to give my best and enjoy the experience. I’ve poured everything I have into this.”

When questioned about the intensity of the day’s matches, Yang revealed that it was her first time playing three matches in a single day, recalling that her schedule at the Asian Para Games had only included two. “I thought I could handle three matches in one day, but the intensity of the games left me with no time to catch my breath,” she reflected.

Also making her Paralympic debut was Taiwan’s Tsai Yilin, who faced top seed Nithya Sivan from India in the women’s singles SH6 group match. Despite her loss with scores of 12-21 and 19-21, Tsai remained optimistic. “Having gone through last year’s Asian Para Games and now this experience, I’ve come to realize that my upper body strength is a real asset. If I continue to improve, I believe I can take on the top players in the future.”