On Sunday, during a badminton doubles final held without the use of their national flag due to security personnel enforcing International Olympic Committee regulations, Taiwanese fans celebrated their nation’s first gold medal at the Paris Games. In front of jubilant Taiwanese supporters, Lee Yang and Wang-Chi-Lin successfully defended their championship against China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang; however, several of them had their banners confiscated and had to remove their face paint.
Mina Syue, a 28-year-old Taiwanese engineer, stated, “I want to cheer for them,” after the guards confiscated her banner after using translation tools to verify the content.
‘Taiwan you are the best!’ was written in blue and white on a red background, mimicking the colors of Taiwan’s flag, as displayed by Syue’s banner.
Flags and signs endorsing nations that are not competing in the Olympics are forbidden per IOC regulations.
In order to avoid criticism from China, which regards the democratically controlled island as its own territory, Taiwan participates in the Olympics under the name Chinese Taipei. The government of Taiwan denies Chinese claims to sovereignty.
Four Taiwanese parents said that after painting the national flag on their faces, they were forced to remove it in order to enter the arena.
Every time their team scored a point throughout the game, the crowd yelled “Taiwan.” The Taiwanese flag was smuggled in by at least one fan, who waved it from the stands.
Bringing Taiwan Together
“Taiwan Taiwan” and “Taiwan number 1” were chanted by Taiwan supporters as they celebrated winning the gold medal after the game.
When he learned Taiwan would be playing China, Taiwanese freelance artist Peng Cheng-yang made the last-minute decision to travel from Germany to attend the game.
To demonstrate that we are a nation and to stand behind our citizens, it is a political act to be here. He declared, “We do not need the flag—the people are what matter,” and he was “moved.”
“The Lin-Yang team faced strong opponents and fought all the way to the end, uniting and inspiring Taiwan!” Taiwan President Lai Ching-te wrote on Facebook.
Lee and Wang appeared uneasy as they hesitated for a few seconds when asked about the Taiwanese president’s Facebook remark.
“A really difficult query. We appreciate all of the help we have gotten and promise to keep up the good work. In the future, we will perform better,” Wang declared.
