Morning Cup Badminton Tournament Kicks Off; Lee Yang May Reunite with Former Partner Wang Chi-lin

The 54th Morning Cup Badminton Tournament, founded in 1970, is Taiwan's longest-running and largest amateur badminton event. This year, it has set a new record with 5,884 participants, attracting over a thousand international players from 26 countries. The tournament spans five days, featuring approximately 4,300 matches and diverse categories, embodying the spirit of "全民運動" (national sport). In addition to professional divisions, there are categories for A and B levels, mixed doubles, parent-child doubles, and grandparent-child doubles. Special "added age" groups for seniors with a combined age of 100 to 160 years, and a "3P (three-on-three)" format catering to older participants, are also included. Fang Rui-wen, Director-General of the Sports Administration, Ministry of Education, stated at the opening ceremony that the Morning Cup is one of the most representative events of the national sport spirit in Taiwan, having run for over half a century. He also noted the significant sports tourism benefits brought by international players and their families. Notably, Olympic men's doubles gold medalists Wang Chi-lin and Lee Yang, who previously served as promotional ambassadors for the Morning Cup, will participate. Lee Yang, now the Minister of Sports, will lead a team on April 12th and is expected to reunite with his former partner Wang Chi-lin, rekindling the reputation of Taiwan's "golden men's doubles" pair.