Taiwan’s top male shuttler, Chou Tien-chen, is to take a one-week break from the court due to damage sustained to his left lung during the Japan Open on Saturday.
Chou was diagnosed with damage to the left lung alveolus and soft tissue by doctors at Taoyuan General Hospital, where he regularly receives hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
As tests had ruled out pneumothorax — when air leaks into the chest cavity — it would not affect his regular treatment, the 34-year-old said.
Photo: AFP
The injury might have resulted from improper use of a respiratory resistance training device before his semi-final against Kodai Naraoka of Japan, he said.
“My lung might have overexpanded because I took breaths too quickly, leading to the injury,” Chou said, describing the sensation as feeling like cramping.
“It felt like being zapped with electricity with each movement. It was really uncomfortable, so I’m truly thankful to the Lord that I was able to finish the final” on Sunday.
Photo courtesy of Chou’s physiotherapist Kao Min-shan via CNA
A devout Christian, Chou credited his ability to continue competing to the support of his pastor and church members, who prayed for him at his request.
Chou, who was diagnosed with early-stage colorectal cancer early last year, said that this issue is unrelated to his previous health problems, adding that the situation has been reported to the National Sports Training Center as well as the national badminton association.
The discomfort began before his match against Naraoka, he said.
It was temporarily managed by his physician, and Chou went on to defeat Naraoka in straight games, before losing 21-17, 22-20 to 19-year-old Alex Lanier of France in Sunday’s final.
Chou appeared tired during the final and did not celebrate with his signature shout until he scored his 19th point in the second game, ending his celebration there.
Despite the loss, it was Chou’s best performance in a Super 750 or higher tournament in two years. His last final appearance at that level was the 2022 Japan Open, where he also finished runner-up.
His world ranking has moved up one place to ninth, the latest rankings announced on Tuesday showed.
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