Taiwan's women's table tennis team clinch Universiade bronze

Taipei, July 20 (CNA) Taiwan's women's table tennis team had to settle for bronze at the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 Summer World University Games Saturday, following a 3-0 semifinal loss to China.

Taiwan's women's team -- Chien Tung-chuan (簡彤娟), who played at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Cheng Pu-syuan (鄭樸璿), Huang Yu-Chieh (黃愉偼) and Tsai Yun-en (蔡昀恩) -- were already guaranteed a medal after whitewashing India in the last eight.

In Saturday's semifinal, Chien lost 6-11, 5-11, 6-11 to Wang Xiaotong (王曉彤). Cheng then fell in the second match, putting Taiwan at a 0-2 deficit.

In the third match, Huang dropped the first two games 7-11 and 5-11 but showed resilience by winning the next two 12-10 and 11-6 to even the score.

However, she quickly fell behind in the decisive fifth game and lost 4-11, resulting in Taiwan settling for back-to-back bronze finishes at the Universiade.

Taiwan also won bronze, which is awarded to both losing semifinalists, at the delayed 2021 Summer World University Games, held in 2023 in the Chinese city of Chengdu.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's rhythmic gymnastics team, composed of Chen Yung-chi (陳詠綺), Lu Pei-chi (呂珮綺), Huang Yun-jen (黃韻蓁), Ju Jieh-chi (朱婕綺), Pan Yu-kuan (潘玉觀) and Chuang Yi-an (莊詒安), clinched a bronze medal in the 3 balls and 2 hoops event.