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Ira Gorawara

Hong Kong badminton’s prosperity in the Paris Olympics will hinge on their mixed doubles pair of Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet.
Tang and Tse’s No 7 world ranking cemented their spot in the City of Lights, and after appearing in five BWF World Tour finals, and winning two, since November 2021, the pair may well find a place on an Olympic podium this summer.
The pair are among the first of the city’s athletes to compete at the Games, with their first game of the group stage on Saturday.
First breakthrough
The city’s premier mixed doubles tandem first teamed up in 2016, following Tse’s tenure in women’s doubles with Poon Lok Yang, and Tang’s stint in the men’s singles.
Coach Chen Kang, a 1992 Olympian and former member of China’s national badminton team, felt that Tang’s skills were more of a fit for an entirely different event.

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵
In just over a year into their partnership, Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet 🇭🇰 captured the Denmark Open in 2⃣0⃣1⃣7⃣.
Here's the highlights of that intriguing final.⏪#BadmintonClassic pic.twitter.com/wFez5tSdns
— BWF (@bwfmedia) October 11, 2023

The coach’s instinct proved right, with Tang and Tse winning their inaugural title in the 2016 Chinese Taipei Masters Open – just five months after first joining forces.
In only their fourth tournament, they took down Japan’s Ryota Taohata and Koharu Yonemoto in a rare best-of-five-game format, with each game played to 11 points.
“The win in Chinese Taipei inspired us to achieve bigger goals. Our goals started with winning at smaller competitions,” Tang told BWF TV. “We took one tournament and one match at a time, [and] now we can strive to win at higher level tournaments. This ambition of ours inspires us to work and train harder.”
Worldwide glory
Finding their groove,, Tang and Tse traversed continents in 2017, claiming victory in the Denmark Super Series Premier in October before finishing second in the Dubai World Superseries Finals.
But even after two early titles, it was Tang and Tse’s 2018 landmark victory that cemented their status as title contenders at the 2020 Olympics.
Hong Kong’s revered pair beat China’s Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong – arguably the best mixed doubles partners ever and then world No 1 – in three sets in the final of the 2018 Malaysia Masters. The victory proved Tang and Tse’s credentials and fuelled what became a historic Olympic run for Hong Kong.

#OnThisDay in 2⃣0⃣1⃣8⃣, Tang Chun Man/Tse Ying Suet 🇭🇰 picked up their sole win over Zheng Si Wei/Huang Ya Qiong 🇨🇳 en route to the Malaysia Masters title. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/lxYJiX6mMI
— BWF (@bwfmedia) January 21, 2022

As the only globally seeded left-handed mixed doubles partnership, Tang and Tse’s advantage challenged opponents to adjust tactics and gameplay.
Despite eventually clinching Olympic qualification with a No 7 worldwide ranking, the two had stood at an uncertain juncture at the start of the qualification process.
“To be able to climb back up step by step is a good experience in my career, because you can climb back after falling so low. I have to say thanks to myself and Chun-man because we did not give up even at our low points,” Tse said, wiping tears from her eyes.

Stunning reflexes from Tang Chun Man / Tse Ying Suet 🇭🇰.
Follow the action on: https://t.co/TjoFnUmqf9@HSBC_Sport #BWFWorldTour #IndonesiaMasters2021 pic.twitter.com/7KCKr6ztgi
— BWF (@bwfmedia) November 18, 2021

Olympic success
In Tokyo, the pair took Hong Kong to their highest Olympic finish in badminton, though Tang and Tse fell just six points shy of a podium appearance – losing 21-17, 23-21 to Japan’s Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino in the bronze medal match.
Still, the fourth-place finish ensured a momentous Olympic campaign for Hong Kong. Paris, though, will be a blank slate for Tang and Tse.
The 2024 Games will mark the fourth Olympic appearance for Tse, after also partnering Poon in the women’s doubles in 2012 and 2016. She said the finish in Tokyo was now a thing of the past.
“Of course, we want to win a medal but the first target is to make it through the group stage, and from then on we go match by match and aim for the medal,” Tang said. “But I am not thinking about that loss three years ago any more.
“There’s only one Olympics every four years, so it still feels like a big deal … We haven’t reached our goal yet, plus it’s the last time, so I’ll cherish it. Qualifying for Paris was extremely difficult, especially for the doubles – because only 16 pairs can make it.”


Working in tandem
BWF TV’s day-in-the-life video of Tang and Tse depicts them venturing to different restaurants together, and enjoying laughter and camaraderie during training breaks.
Through the ebbs and flows of their journey, Tang and Tse have upheld coordination and communication as fundamental tenets of their philosophy. The pair’s interconnected bond has enriched both their athletic pursuits and personal endeavours alike.
Tse’s daring, cheerful nature brings vitality, while Tang’s caring, quiet disposition rounds out a synergistic pair. This harmony has translated to optimal performance on the court.
“I’m an attacking player, so Tang doesn’t have to worry about the backcourt,” Tse said. “Even if Tang has to move to the frontcourt to attack, I can still smash and play aggressively from the backcourt.”


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Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Paris Olympics: Hong Kong’s badminton hopes lie with rare pair Tang Chun-man, Tse Ying-suet

Tse Ying-suet and Tang Chun-man at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where they reached the quarter-finals. Photo: Dickson Lee

Paris Olympics: badminton star Happy Lo enlists help of sleep doctor ahead of Games debut

Happy Lo plays a shot at the net during her match against Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun at the German Open in February. Photo: Getty Images

Lo, the team’s youngest member, has jumped from No 250 to 44 in just 12 months. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

Paris Olympics: badminton gold not a guarantee for China, despite favourites tag

Chen Yufei celebrates beating An Se-young in the final of the 2024 Indonesia Open. Photo: Xinhua

Denmark’s world No 1 Viktor Axelsen. Photo: Reuters

An Se-young goes into the Olympics as the top-ranked women. Photo: Xinhua

Paris Olympics 2024: badminton No 1 An Se-young says Games medal is ‘final piece of puzzle’

South Korea’s An Se-young hits a return against China’s Chen Yufei in the Indonesia Open singles final in Jakarta in early June, won by Chen. Photo: AFP

China’s Olympic champion Chen Yufei is An’s biggest obstacle for a gold medal in Paris. Photo: AFP

Sport

Paris Olympics 2024

Hong Kong

Profiles

The duo, who achieved Hong Kong’s best Olympics finish in the sport in Tokyo, are the only world-ranked left-handed mixed doubles partnership


The duo, who achieved Hong Kong’s best Olympics finish in the sport in Tokyo, are the only world-ranked left-handed mixed doubles partnership.


Badminton World Federation (BWF)

Tse Ying-suet (謝影雪)

Tang Chun-man (鄧俊文)