On the way to the finish line of the Olympic qualification period, which will end in April after the European and Asian championships, players must not only battle each other but also themselves.

Some have managed to overcome the psychological pressure, while others have stumbled.

Taiwanese men's singles player Chou Thien Chen is well aware of the ramped-up pressure with qualification matchups featuring top threats from across the world, including world number one Kento Momota of Japan, Anders Antonsen of Denmark and Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia. Kento, who was injured in a vehicle accident in Kuala Lumpur just hours after winning the Malaysia Masters, will not compete in this week’s Daihatsu Indonesia Masters.

Despite the bevy of top talents, Chou refused to focus on the pressure, preferring instead to improve his game by managing his emotions amid heated competition.

“I take this kind of pressure as an opportunity to learn. The more pressure I receive, the more upbeat I feel about tackling it. I just want to focus on [earning] victories and don’t want to think too much about the pressure,” he said.

Competing at the Indonesia Masters this week at Istora Senayan Stadium in Jakarta, Chou aims to repeat his success from last year when he won the Indonesia Open title at the same venue.

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