President Tsai Ing-wen says she spoke to badminton star Tai Tzu-ying over the phone after Tai won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Tai, the top-ranked player in the world, lost to Chinese player Chen Yufei in an intense 81-minute match on Sunday that had many people in Taiwan on the edge of their seats.
Writing in a post on Instagram on Sunday evening, President Tsai said her message for Tai was simple. She says she told Tai: “Tonight, all of the people of Taiwan were rooting for you in that match, and in our hearts, you are the best!”
After the match, Tai left a heartfelt statement on her Facebook page, saying she was disappointed to miss out on a gold medal. However, she says “imperfection is a part of reality”. Tai says she did her best and has to accept the result. She says she is grateful to her fans and the country for their support.
The silver is Tai’s first Olympic medal and only the second ever medal for Taiwan in badminton. Tai was knocked out in the round of 16 in her previous two Summer Games - London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Tai has previously mentioned she might retire after the Tokyo Olympics. For now, she says she will rest a while and then decide on her next steps.