Young Taiwanese bags silver at Asian skateboarding tourney in China

Taipei, April 13 (CNA) An 11-year-old Taiwanese clinched a silver medal in the junior category at the Asian Skateboarding Championships in Sichuan, China, on Sunday.

Yeh Tzu-yang (葉子陽) scored 128.34 points in the street competition final, landing his final run after two failed attempts to secure a podium finish.

Team coach Lin Ta-wei (林大為) told CNA that after Yeh failed his first two attempts, the 11-year-old was asked whether he wanted a third try for a medal. Yeh chose to go all in and landed a move he had never completed before, showing "nerves of steel," and securing a silver medal, Lin said.

Yeh was recruited to the Taiwan national team earlier this year, when he was skiing in Japan with his father, who said they received an unexpected call from the Taiwanese national team.

Yeh was being trained to ski in Japan during winter, and skateboarding had gradually become part of his daily life, after a friend suggested that it could help improve his footwork and trick skills, according to his father.

The call from the Taiwan skateboarding team was to ask if Yeh would like to compete in the Asian Championships in China, and he immediately agreed, his father told CNA.

"Before the competition, we thought it would be great if he could at least reach the finals," the father said, adding that Yeh had been away from skateboarding for some time, and the main priority was to avoid injury.

Skateboarding, which originated from street culture, has grown into a global sport in recent years and has been included in three consecutive Olympic Games.

Coach Lin said greater government support and proper training facilities are needed to help develop the sport in Taiwan.

The Asian Skateboarding Championships were held April 7-12, comprising park and street competitions for men, women, and juniors.