Taiwan's Chiu Pin-chian wins Korea Masters badminton championship

Taipei, Nov. 9 (CNA) Taiwanese badminton player Chiu Pin-chian (邱品蒨) was crowned the women's singles champion at the Korea Masters 2025 in Iksan, South Korea, after defeating her Vietnamese opponent on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Chiu, currently ranked world No. 20, beat Vietnam's Nguyễn Thùy Linh 21-16, 21-15 in her first-ever finals berth in a Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 event.

Speaking to CNA after the match, Chiu said she had gotten goosebumps on her scalp when she realized she was going to win, joking that her "battles" with the treadmill during training had finally paid off.

Winning the tournament is a kind of "self-affirmation," she said.

Chiu's coach, Ku Tsun-ang (顧存揚), described her as a late-blooming athlete who was often overshadowed by other players in her younger days, which hurt her confidence.

Nevertheless, Chiu's strong fundamentals in the sport, combined with her experience playing all different types of players in international tournaments, have helped her come into her own this season, Ku said.

"I know this championship is very meaningful to her, and I hope she will continue to evolve [as a player] in even bigger tournaments in the future," Ku said.