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He was on track to be one of Taiwan’s brightest young stars in table tennis. But 22-year-old Huang Yan-chen (黃彥誠), dubbed the “Prince of the Coast Guard,” has now landed himself in hot water — not for his skills, but for his personal life.
The rising athlete had become popular not only for his performance but also his looks and charisma online.
However, rumours earlier this year turned into scandal when it was revealed he had cheated on his girlfriend by secretly seeing a female fan (Miss Hu).
Later on, Miss Hu made a big move by posting a series of apology stories on Instagram. She even tagged Huang Yan-chen’s official girlfriend, admitting she was the other woman.
“As a girl, I ended up hurting another girl. I won’t interfere in their lives anymore,” she wrote.
The stories also included several screenshots that appeared to show explicit conversations between her and Huang Yan-chen.
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After four days out of the spotlight, Huang Yan-chen finally released a statement of apology:
"I, Huang Yan-chen, made a mistake in matters of relationships, which left a negative impression on the public and let everyone down. Through this incident, I've recognised my own issues, reflected deeply, and sincerely regret what happened. I’ve taken this as a learning experience and will take the lesson to heart — correcting my mindset and behaviour, and refocusing on training and learning. I’m truly sorry."
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However, another woman left a comment under the post, seemingly trying to speak up for herself. She shared a screenshot of her chat with Huang Yan-chen on Threads and wrote:
"I opened Threads today and saw loads about this. The name looked really familiar, so I searched it up — turns out it's the same guy. Back in 2022, I was just in Year 9 and underage. We met through gaming, and I had no idea he was a national table tennis player. I only found out later after looking up his name. Seems like this isn’t the first time either — looks like he’s a repeat offender."
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The fallout was swift.
The Taiwanese Table Tennis Association handed him a three-month suspension and removed him from the squad heading to the World Championships in Doha this May.
It’s a major setback, not just for Huang himself but also for the team. His absence opens a gap in both singles and doubles play, especially since he was originally paired with 16-year-old Kuo Kuan-Hung.
Taking his place is Liao Chen-Ting, Taiwan’s No. 6 ranked player. While Liao is reliable, the sudden change in team chemistry could be felt.
There’s been a lot of mixed reactions.
Some fans feel the punishment is excessive, considering this is a personal issue. But others support the decision, saying athletes representing the country must uphold a professional image.
One of Huang’s seniors, Chiang Hung-Chieh, didn’t hold back in his comments.
As coach at Huang’s club Taiwan Cooperative Bank, he said, “Discipline is necessary. The most important thing now is for him to self-reflect, work hard, and focus on improvement.”
Chiang, who is also a former Olympian, explained that the team places a strong emphasis on manners and proper conduct, and this kind of incident doesn’t align with those values.
Chiang also briefly touched on his long-standing dream to open his own table tennis academy. Though he’s still passionate about the idea, he admitted the timing isn't right.
“It takes a lot of energy and commitment, especially for something beyond a small setup,” he said.
Meanwhile, the rest of Taiwan’s national team is preparing for the World Championships. Notably, Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching will reunite for mixed doubles — a pairing fans haven’t seen since their bronze medal win at the Tokyo Olympics.
Lin had tried other pairings, like with Chen Szu-Yu, but after a disappointing Paris Olympics, the original duo is making a comeback.
The final line-up for the World Championships includes five men and five women:
Men’s team – Lin Yun-Ju, Kao Cheng-Jui, Kuo Kuan-Hung, Lin Yen-Chun, and Liao Chen-Ting.
Women’s team – Cheng I-Ching, Huang Yi-Hua, Lee Yu-Chun, Huang Yu-Chiao, and Tsai Yun-En.
Huang Yan-chen had been expected to compete in both singles and men’s doubles. But following a disciplinary meeting on 28 March, his ban was confirmed until 27 June. This also disqualifies him from the WTT Taiyuan Challenge and the World Championships.
The association clarified that while Huang didn’t break the law, his behaviour was damaging to the team's image — enough to warrant a suspension under their athlete code.