Jayce
Since the Swiss Open in March 2023, Chou Tien-chen ‘s performance has begun to decline.
In subsequent tournaments, he was eliminated early or occasionally made it to the quarter-finals. Finally, in November 2023, at the Helu Open, he defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu and won the championship.
Zhou Tiancheng has always been known for his stable performance. If his performance fluctuates greatly, there must be something else going on. After winning the Thailand Masters in February this year, Zhou Tiancheng revealed an important fact to the outside world – he had rectal cancer surgery last year.
Fortunately, he was diagnosed with cancer before last year’s Asian Championships, and it only took a minor operation to cure. But why did Zhou Tiancheng never tell the outside world about this?
“I don’t want to make excuses for myself.” He experienced many losses in the competitions after the surgery. He wanted to continue to compete because he still wanted to pursue his Olympic dream.
Although Zhou Tiancheng’s condition has fluctuated, he said that he has recovered in all aspects, but sometimes he loses concentration during the game. Despite this, these factors have not affected his qualification for the Paris Olympics. Currently, he ranks 14th. He won the runner-up at the 2024 Swiss Open and then reached the semi-finals of the 2024 Spanish Masters. The two tournaments helped him stabilize his current ranking.
Zhou Tiancheng recalled: “I was diagnosed before the Asian Championships in April last year. I was training with Ansailong at the time, and I had a physical examination before training. When further examinations were conducted, it was found that I had cancer. When everyone learned the news, they were very shocked. But we kept it secret until February this year. Because I won the championship again and my condition was much better, I thought this was the best time to announce it. At the same time, I wanted to show everyone my attitude. There is more to life than badminton. You need to maintain your personality. No matter what setbacks and accidents you encounter, as long as you stick to it, you will find the answer. I want to encourage everyone, so I announced it to the outside world.”
It wasn’t a major surgery, but because his large intestine was affected, he was limited to a bland diet.
“Sometimes I lose focus, sometimes I play well, and sometimes I make mistakes.”
But for him, he believes sharing his experience will inspire others.
“My physical condition is much better than before, and my confidence is stronger. I want to tell everyone that you can face everything with a positive emotion and a focused attitude.”
Chou Tien Chen is eager to win an Olympic medal. He not only wants to win a medal for himself, but also wants to show his positive spirit at the Olympics.
“At the Olympics, we have to face our opponents in good shape. Whether we win or lose, we can create a great Olympics, which is very exciting. Everyone is in good physical and mental condition, and everyone is challenging each other’s limits, so I am very happy to be here.”
