'Master Chou', an extraordinary icon of the world badminton village

When it comes to badminton legends, many people will immediately think of Lin Dan, Chen Long or Lee Chong Wei. But when it comes to perseverance and exemplary performance, Taiwanese player Chou Tien Chen is recognized as an icon.

Chou Tien Chen is more durable than his contemporaries - Photo: BWF

Why is he called a teacher?

Kunlavut is 24 years old this year, at the peak of his career, determined to get a ticket to the World Finals at the end of the year. But then he lost the physical and endurance competition with his 35-year-old colleague on the other side of the battle line.

At 35, Chou Tien Chen is still competing at the highest level, becoming one of the most vibrant and respected faces in world badminton.

When it comes to class, Chou's talent is undeniable. The Taiwanese tennis player was ranked 3rd in the world (in 2022), won many major titles from Super 500 and above in the BWF Series system.

But more importantly, Chou Tien Chen is respected for his exemplary image, uprightness and strong will to overcome difficulties, with the nickname "teacher Chou" given by the badminton fan community.

Chou always celebrates calmly and exemplary - Photo: BWF

Chou has long been known for his serious, calm, and religious image on the court. In 2012, at the age of 22, he decided to convert to Catholicism, and has been a devout believer ever since.

Fans are familiar with the image of Chou clasping his hands in prayer before or after the match, accompanied by a solemn and dignified demeanor...

Asian fans call him "teacher Chou" both because of his "elderly" demeanor on the field and because of the way he inspires the younger generation with his exemplary behavior.

Screaming when winning, smashing rackets when making mistakes, or provoking and responding to opponents... are habits of many tennis players. But Chou is not like that, he always behaves moderately, like a teacher, or even a monk.

Chou is also famous for his friendliness, often drawing juniors and young players whenever he has the chance.

In addition, Chou is also known as a tennis player without scandals, without gossip and with an extremely disciplined lifestyle. He is not married, and never shares information about his lover, to the point that there are rumors that "teacher Chou" belongs to the LGBT community, or wants to become a monk.

In several interviews, when asked about this, Chou replied that the reason he never made public his personal information was because he wanted to devote himself wholeheartedly to his sports career, not letting outside factors influence him.

This makes Chou an ideal role model for the younger generation on how to maintain a career in a top environment.

Winning Cancer

The Taiwanese tennis player is also a symbol of overcoming difficulties, having overcome early stage colon cancer in 2023.

Chou is still going strong at the age of 35 - Photo: AC

According to Olympics.com and The Star newspaper, he detected the disease early, underwent surgery to remove the affected part of his colon and is making a positive recovery.

Chou did not use this story to gain attention, but only shared it after returning to competition and winning an international tournament in 2024.

"I don't want to be pitied. I want people to see that people can overcome illness if they have faith and will," he said.

His calmness in the face of a serious illness and his ability to return to the top made fans respect "teacher Chou" even more.

The Taiwanese player did not share details about his treatment journey. But the whole badminton world knows that it is thanks to his exemplary lifestyle, perseverance and total dedication to the sport.

Chou's 35-year-old muscles, after overcoming cancer - Photo: FB

Respect for Chou comes not only from fans but also from badminton legends themselves.

Recently, Lee Chong Wei had special words of praise for his junior: "Chou is proof that badminton is not just about physical strength, but also about heart and perseverance. I really admire how he overcame his illness and is still fighting at the age of 35."

Being able to compete well in a competitive sport like badminton at the age of 35 is not easy, especially when having to go through cancer. Chou Tien Chen has become a symbol of will and the ability to overcome difficulties.

And in addition, there is the image of an exemplary "teacher Chou", calm and unusually calm on the sports field that is always bustling, but also full of joy, anger, love, hate...

Through it all, Mr. Chou just focused on playing badminton, praying, and then practicing...

One of Chou's biggest differences from most professional tennis players is that he has played without a formal coach for many years.

Since 2019, he has decided to go the “self-training” route. Instead of having a coach in the coaching chair, he only works with a physical therapist who supports him physically and mentally.

Chou studies tactics and analyzes opponents himself, takes notes, and adjusts himself. In an interview with the Badminton World Federation, he once said: “I believe God is my coach. I don’t need too many people around me, I need the wisdom to learn from everyone.”

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thay-chou-bieu-tuong-phi-thuong-cua-lang-cau-long-the-gioi-20251013204355184.htm