There was no birdie, we are buddies, says Taiwan’s Chou

Controversial: A screenshot of Tien-chen’s ‘disrespectful’ gesture to Zii Jia after their Taiwan Open 2018 semi-final clash.

PETALING JAYA: It’s a two-year old controversy and it’s still raging. Did Taiwan ace Chou Tien-chen flip the bird at Malaysia’s top men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia after the two faced each other in the semi-final clash at the Taiwan Open in 2018?Tien-chen has been recently criticised for his unsportsmanlike conduct with the video going around, which appeared to show him extending his middle finger even as he hugs Zii Jia.

Zii Jia upstaged Tien-chen 17-21, 21-14, 24-22 in the 80-minute thriller, denying the latter a chance to claim his third straight title at that time.