TOKYO, Nov. 25 (CNA) - Taiwan celebrated its first gold medal at the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo on Monday, courtesy of a dominant performance by its women’s bowling team against South Korea.
The quartet of Chang Yao-chien (張堯茜), Wang Yu-chin (王玉琴), Lin Ya-chin (林雅琴), and Chen I-miao secured the victory, marking a meaningful achievement for Taiwan’s delegation and boosting their overall medal count at the prestigious international competition for deaf athletes. This win underscores Taiwan’s growing strength in bowling and provides momentum as the Deaflympics nears its conclusion.
The Taiwanese team initially qualified for the tournament’s second round as the top seed. Despite a challenging pool play where they tallied four wins against three losses, finishing fourth among eight teams, they managed to advance to the semifinals. There, they overcame a determined Ukrainian team 2-1, earning their place in the gold medal match.
In a decisive final showdown, Taiwan demonstrated their skill and composure, winning the first two games against South Korea with scores of 173-154 and 211-148, respectively, to clinch the gold.
Earlier in the day,Taiwan’s men’s table tennis team added to the medal tally,claiming a silver medal after a 3-0 loss to china. Led by veteran Yang Jung-tsung (楊榮宗), a six-time Deaflympics competitor, alongside teammates Wang Yi-hsiang (王顗翔), Lu Shih-chieh (盧仕杰), and Kuo Yueh-tung (郭岳東), the team continued Taiwan’s impressive streak, earning their sixth consecutive medal in the event.
As of Monday, Taiwan’s total medal haul at the Deaflympics stands at one gold, five silver, and five bronze medals. With 76 athletes competing across 11 sports, the team aims to add to this total before the Games conclude on Tuesday.
