Dr. Yang Chi-mei of Office of Physical Education won over 2700 athletes and bagged the championship titles in three different categories, Mixed Doubles, Couple’s Doubles and Women’s Double, in the just-concluded 15th World Chinese Badminton Invitation Event, held from November 14 to 16 in Kuming, China.

“The three championship titles came in a surprise,” said Yang, adding that, however, she was really happy with these accomplishments. Yang had previously joined the annual sports event in 1993 and 2006. She also won three championship titles in the 2006 event. Yang disclosed that the main reason why she can triumph over other strong opponents in the event is that she always remain calm in the games and made her every move carefully and wisely. In fact, in the day before the event, Yang was suffering from food poisoning. However, she still managed to come back in the games.

In both Mixed Doubles and Couple’s Doubles categories, Yang teamed with her husband Lin Chi-cheng, who is a physical education teacher in Nangang Vocational High School. “Since we have been playing as a team for so many years, we know each other’s moves very well,” said Yang, adding that she and her husband had made it a habit to play badminton four days a week over the past decades.

In the championship game at the Women’s Double category, Yang and her teammate was facing an uphill battle against opponents from Kuming, China. In the Mixed Doubles event, Yang was playing against the opponents from Taiwan, and finally beating them in a small margin 21 to 17.

Dr. Yang said she was good at various sports but badminton is her all-time favorite. Aside from serving the position as a physical education teacher in Tamkang, Yang is also a team manager in “Taiwan Senior Badminton Association.” Yang said that she will be preparing for the upcoming World Senior Badminton Championships which will be held in Spain, 2009, in the hope of winning glory for herself and her country again. ( ~ Yeh Yun-kai)