Category：Sports

Taiwanese-American baseball star receives gold card from president

Taiwanese-American baseball star Stuart Fairchild, affectionately known as "Fei Zai," is back in Taiwan, to meet the president. Earlier this year, Fairchild became a superstar in Taiwan, after hitting a grand slam against Czechia at the World Baseball Classic. Now, Fairchild is in Taiwan with his family and his wife, who is not shy to share sweet moments of the trip online. Besides sightseeing, a highlight of the trip happened on Friday, when President Lai Ching-te personally presented Fairchild with an Employment Gold Card at the Presidential Office. Let’s hear more.

- President Lai will now present Mr. Fairchild with the Taiwan Employment Gold Card.

Lai Ching-te
President
The significance of this Employment Gold Card is to make Taiwan feel like a second home for you. As a baseball fan, I’m thrilled to have this opportunity today to personally thank you face-to-face. During the game between Taiwan and Czechia, when you hit that grand slam with the bases loaded. It was just wow. We’re all huge fans of yours now.

Stuart Fairchild
Taiwanese-American baseball star
Ever since representing Team Taiwan in the World Baseball Classic, the love and support
I have received from the people of Taiwan has been truly overwhelming. I am incredibly proud of my Taiwanese heritage, and this visit has only deepened that pride and my connection to Taiwan. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. (In Mandarin) Thank you, Taiwan.

Fairchild’s visit has drawn plenty of attention, with fans proud to see the Taiwanese-American player embracing his Taiwanese roots. A hero on the baseball field, he’s also a devoted husband off the field. His wife, Hannah, shared a romantic photo of the couple at Taipei 101, captioned "Over the moon." The post got more than 170,000 likes, and left fans gushing that they look like a match made in heaven. Fairchild is also scheduled to take part in a baseball training camp in Tianmu this weekend, where he’ll have the opportunity to interact with local players.

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#fairchild #baseball #goldcard #taiwan #grandslam

2026-11-06

Swimmer and wushu practitioner bear flag for Taiwan at Dakar 2026

The 2026 Summer Youth Olympics in Dakar held its opening ceremony on Saturday, marking the start of the first ever IOC event held in Africa. Team Taiwan was represented at the ceremony by two flag bearers: wushu practitioner Chu Yu-en and swimming ace Lee Han. As their first time on such a big stage, both athletes said they were nervous and excited ahead of stepping out onto the arena. Let’s hear more.

Lee Han
Swimmer
I had never competed at an event like this, or taken part in the opening ceremony. So I didn’t know what to do. I was very excited, and I was always thinking about where I had to go next.

Chu Yu-en
Wushu practitioner
It was a first for me. I kept thinking, what if I mess up, or if I fall over... things like that.

Young athletes from all over the world have flown into Senegal for the event. Taiwan’s delegation comprises 37 athletes, who will compete in 17 sports. The sports include Baseball5 for the first time, and already Taiwan is heading up the scoreboard. In the first round, Taiwan played Cuba; a traditionally strong team nicknamed the “Red Lightning.” Taiwan took victory in straight sets 5-3 and 5-4, marking Taiwan’s first-ever win over Cuba.

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#olympics #senegal #dakar #dakar2026 #youtholympics

2026-11-02

Blummenfelt and Iden blessed at Shunze Temple before Ironman

Norway’s star triathlon duo, Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt have returned to Taiwan for the first time in four years. On Friday morning, the two visited Shunze Temple in Changhua County’s Puyan Township. The Temple prepared 500 memorial caps to honor the “10-time Consecutive Champions,” to give to the fans that crowded the streets.

The roads in front of Shunze Temple are packed with fans; they arrived to welcome two incredible athletes. In 2019, Norwegian Ironman, Gustav Iden wore a cap from the Shunze Temple in Changhua’s Puyan Township and went on to win a world championship- sparking a craze for the “champion cap.” After 4 years, Iden and his senior, Kristian Blummenfelt, have returned to the temple for the third time.

Gustav Iden
Ironman Athlete
It’s been seven years since I started wearing the hat, and it’s been amazing that the temple and the people of Taiwan and my sponsor, Giant, from Taiwan has continued to support me and help me through difficult times. So once again, I just want to say thank you.

The temple prepared special local snacks and used radish from Puyan Township to make white radish cake for Iden and Blummenfelt.

Voice of Shunze Temple Staff
Explains radish cake texture
It was fried to perfection! Crispy! Is it yummy?

The temple also gifted both athletes a US$10,000 bonus and wished them good health. They especially prepared 500, “10-time Consecutive Champion,” hats which attracted many online followers to come and collect. Many quickly lined up for the memorial hats.

- Pass it over the censer for blessings
- Thank you, thank you!
- Happy to have it?
- Its great!

After locals received the memorial hat, they all passed it over the incense burner so that it was blessed by the deity and then crowded both athletes for an autograph. The situation grew uncomfortable quickly causing the two to take a break.

- Everyone please line up for autographs

The two Ironman athletes will head further south to Kenting to compete in the International Triathlon starting on Nov 1. The popularity around championship commemorative caps has created more enthusiasm for sports like triathlons.

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#ironman #kenting #gustaviden #blummenfelt #internationaltriathlon

2026-10-30

Tang Chia-hung returns to hero’s welcome after world gold medal

Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung has made history as the first Taiwanese gymnast to win a world championship world medal. The athlete clinched gold in the horizontal bar final at the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in the Netherlands. He returned to Taiwan on Tuesday to a hero’s welcome, with his sights now set on qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Let’s hear from him.

Tang Chia-hung
World Champion
After my disappointment at the Asian Games, I approached this competition as a fresh start. I’m thrilled to have won this gold medal for Taiwan. It means a lot to me. My first goal next year will be to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics, either as a part of the team or as an individual.

Tang’s historic victory marks Taiwan’s fourth medal at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Previously, Chang Feng-chih won silver in 1993 and Lee Chih-kai scored a silver and two bronze medals in 2018 and 2019. But Tang’s is Taiwan’s first-ever gold at the championships, making the achievement all the more significant. Looking ahead, Tang says his priority is to secure Olympic qualification through next year’s qualifying events, either as an individual or as part of the national team.

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#gymnastics #sports #athletes #唐嘉鴻 #medal

2026-10-27

Hospital opens clinic devoted to treating skiing injuries

Taiwan doesn’t have any ski resorts, but Taipei Veterans General Hospital, has opened a clinic to treat injuries from the sport. As the winter months approach, many people are thinking of taking a skiing trip abroad. But the risk of injury from such high intensity exercise is always there.

Donning a doctor’s coat and riding a skateboard, Dr. Yang Yi-chiang moves skillfully and seamlessly through corridors. You might not expect it, but Yang is not only an excellent skateboarder, but in his private life also loves skiing. Combining his professional expertise with his own experience, he has specially opened a sports medicine clinic devoted to skiing.

Yang Yi-chiang
Taipei Veterans General Hospital
I started looking after skiers with injuries in 2023, but initially no one knew that I could help these athletes or ski enthusiasts. This formal system allows athletes who don’t know me to find me.

Amid the increasing popularity of skateboarding and snow sports, high-energy board sports often result in serious injuries. Taipei Veterans General Hospital has pioneered a skiing sports medicine clinic, led by Yang, an attending physician in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Yang has integrated his many years of skiing experience with his treatment of more than 600 skiing injuries. For example, Ms. Tsai, who has 19 years of skiing experience, sprained her right knee while skiing in January this year. By using force plate testing to track her condition, she showed significant improvement in just two months.

Ms. Tsai
Had a skiing injury
At first, when I jumped and landed, I didn’t dare to put any force on my dominant right foot. But after I finished the medication and rested it for a month, when I went back to retake the force plate test, I found that the force of my right foot jumping and landing was actually better and smoother.

There’s also Chen Tzu-hui, a Taiwanese professional snowboarder, who is competing in international events with the goal of reaching the 2030 Winter Olympics. To meet the demands of high-intensity competition, the medical team, through functional assessments, and in conjunction with external training experts, planned a personalized training program for her.

Chen Tzu-hui
Professional snowboarder
Knowing how to exercise doesn’t mean you know how to control your body. I felt I couldn’t move or control my body smoothly, so I went to a doctor for an evaluation. He gave me a training plan, and I practiced it for a week. Three months later, I went to Japan for jump ramp training, and I realized that my overall athletic performance and body control had improved dramatically.

Yang covers injury diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. He has also taken the initiative to design a skiing sports medicine platform to help skiing enthusiasts and beginners alike find suitable locations, as well as provide warnings and information on how to seek assistance after an injury. This enables skiers to achieve twice the result with half the effort in their treatment after an injury.

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#sportsinjuries #skiinginjuries #skiingsafety #Taiwantreatments #Taiwansports

2026-10-23

Taiwan wins table tennis women’s doubles gold

Taiwan has bagged another medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asia Para Games. This time, it was in the table tennis women’s doubles event, where, Lin Tzu-yu and Tian Shiau-wen earned a gold, after beating China 3:1. Lin, who’s also won a gold at the mixed doubles and the women’s singles, has walked away with 3 golds at this year’s Asia Para Games, marking an incredible milestone for Taiwan this year.

In the table tennis women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Tian Shiau-wen and Lin Tzu-yu secured a gold medal against China.

Tian Shiau-wen
Taiwan table tennis player
When we got off, I felt like crying because I felt it’s such a huge breakthrough. I’m very grateful to my partner, who kept reminding me to relax and play calmly.

Lin Tzu-yu
Taiwan table tennis player
In the previous two games for women’s doubles, we also won silver and lost twice against the Chinese team. So this time we really had a major breakthrough, I feel incredibly happy.

This is Tian’s first gold, while Lin earned 2 golds and 1 silver at the previous Hangzhou Asian Games, missing out on a gold in the women’s doubles. This year, she finally had a breakthrough and earned a gold.

Lin Tzu-yu
Taiwan table tennis player
Having earned 3 golds, I feel is something I managed to pull through, whether it was my women’s singles, yesterday’s mixed doubles, or today’s women’s doubles. With so many games, I feel, in terms of score, it could have gone either way.

Turning the focus to badminton, particularly the SU5 final match, Fang Jen-yu secured himself a silver playing against China, and was overcome by emotion thanking his family and fans.

Fang Jen-yu
Taiwan badminton player
Thank you to my family for always supporting me, and I’m thankful to the many people who came to cheer me on today.

Having earned a bronze the previous Games and a silver this time round, Fang hopes to secure a gold next time.

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#badminton #tabletennis #aichi-nagoya #asiaparagames #paralympics #su5

2026-10-23

Athletic trainer flips off teen at high school basketball game

An adult athletic trainer for a high school basketball team got so worked up about his team’s victory that he stormed onto the court and flipped off his opponents. The man taunted a player from the opposing team who had just fallen to the ground after attempting a three-pointer. He gave the teen the middle finger and allegedly called him a “piece of trash.” The shocking outburst sparked widespread outrage, prompting the school to fire the trainer.

A player from Dalun Junior High is attempting a three-pointer, when he loses his balance and falls to the floor. The referee blows the whistle, sealing the victory for their opponents, Jinhe Junior High. Then, a man wearing a black T-shirt storms onto the court, yells at the fallen player and flips him off.

- The athletic trainer is on the court!
He flipped off a player!
Call the parents over!

Jinhe Junior High’s athletic trainer shocked everyone rushing onto the court in the middle of the game to harass a player from Dalun Junior High. He gave the player the middle finger, shouted at him to “Keep acting,” and may have even called him a piece of trash. His actions sparked swift backlash on social media.

Hsieh Nien-tzu
Dalun Junior High coach
He insulted the kids and made rude gestures at them. Some kids heard him say “piece of trash.” He’s not even a member of staff at the school, so he shouldn’t even have been there to begin with.

Kuo Fang-chiang
Dalun Junior High Principal
I’m very upset that the three years of efforts that our kids did were stained by this provocation.

Jinhe Junior High released an apology after the incident, saying that the athletic trainer had been dismissed and would never be hired again. Dalun Junior High released a statement condemning the incident and asking the national school sport federation to investigate the matter to clarify the facts and responsibilities. The Commissioner of Miaoli County also spoke on the matter.

Chung Tung-chin
Miaoli Commissioner
It’s unbelievable. I think the school sports federation should give Miaoli an explanation on how order is maintained at games. The rules should prevent all the participants from every county from getting harassed on the court.

The commissioner says the perpetrator should apologize publicly for his actions. He stressed that both winning and losing is a part of sports, and urged athletes and their teams to show good sportsmanship by being humble in victory and gracious in defeat.

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#sports #taiwan #miaoli #basketball #sportsmanship

2026-10-22

Lee Yang pulls out from Asian Para Games event after badge downgrade

A credential downgrade has prompted Sports Minister Lee Yang to pull out of all official events at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games in Japan. Lee had initially been issued a badge that referred to him by his official title, Sports Minister. But he was later informed that it would be changed to “Guest.” The incident follows a controversy last month, in which event officials tried to exclude him from another ceremony at the Asian Games. Let’s hear more.

Xavier Chang
Executive Yuan Secretary-General
The Ministry of Sports has lodged a stern protest with the organizers. I hope that ruling and opposition lawmakers, as well as the general public will offer their support to Sports Minister Lee Yang, for looking out for all our athletes on the ground.

Chen Pei-yu
Legislator (DPP)
Could this downgrade open the door for further downgrades down the line? We hope that more international competitions will restore Taiwan’s rightful identity.

Fan Yun
Legislator (DPP)
It’s not the first time that the CCP has tried to obstruct us at sporting events in other countries. We will continue to fight for Taiwan’s right to take part in international competitions with the respect we deserve.

The Ministry of Sports has issued a four-point statement to protest the credential downgrade, and the lack of explanation and consultations. It also lodged a complaint with the Asian Paralympic Committee, urging organizers to keep sports free from external interference. At the incident last month, Lee was heading to the opening ceremony for the athletes’ village when he was blocked from entering the venue. He was ultimately let in, but only after more than one hour of negotiations.

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#taiwan #japan #asiangames #asianparagames #sports

2026-10-19

Lee Hao-yu returns to Taiwan after stellar baseball season in the US

As the youngest Taiwanese player to hit a homerun in Major League Baseball, Lee Hao-yu is back in town to talk about his adventures. The 23 year-old player made his debut in April this year and delivered an incredible performance all season, with 87 hits and 10 home runs, he is making history by breaking many Taiwanese records. Today he attended a press conference with his family present and shared his journey.

Taiwanese professional baseball player, Lee Hao-yu returned to Taiwan during offseason, and immediately attended a press conference to talk about his journey.

Lee Hao-yu
MLB Detroit Tigers player
I got hurt almost immediately after I started playing. After recovering and returning, I did not expect to be called up this early, until I hit my first home run. This year’s been full of surprises.

Earlier this year, Lee made his MLB debut and has already set Taiwanese single-season MLB records for 114 games played, 87 hits, and 10 home runs, with a batting average of 0.263. This year Lee has made history as the youngest Taiwanese player to hit a homerun in the MLB, also fulfilling a long-time dream of his.

Lee Hao-yu
MLB Detroit Tigers player
The first time I watched MLB was the Detroit Tigers, I thought that field was beautiful. I told the person next to me, “One day I’ll play here.” 9 years later, I am really playing baseball on that very field.

Since it was first time playing in the major leagues, Lee revealed that he was driving home to Detroit when he accidentally took a wrong turn and ended up in Canada, where he was taken into customs interrogation.

Lee Hao-yu
MLB Detroit Tigers player
The customs officer searched up my name and said, “Oh, you really are here to play baseball,” and I said, “Why would I lie?” He said, “Wow, not bad. You’ve had two home runs.” I said, “Nope, I’ve had three.”

Given his incredible performance, his family is incredibly proud. Lee’s mother joked about picking up her son at the airport on social media saying, “I’ve come to pick up my gangster son.” Baseball fans were even curious about who runs the Detroit Tigers threads account seeing as the posts have a distinct Taiwanese-style.

Lee Hao-yu
MLB Detroit Tigers player
Can I reveal this? It wouldn’t be fun if I did, it’s better to keep everyone guessing.

Whatever the mystery is, Lee’s baseball career is off to an incredible start. As the rookie continues to grow in the Major Leagues, he will always be supported by Taiwan and its baseball fans.

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#detroittigers #leehaoyu #mlb #baseball #taiwanesebaseball

2026-10-12

37 athletes to represent Taiwan at Dakar Youth Olympic Games

The 2026 Dakar Youth Olympics kick off on Oct. 31 in Senegal, marking the first time the Games will be held in Africa. Taiwan is sending 37 athletes to compete in 17 sports, with Sports Minister Lee Yang urging the young competitors to use sports to connect with the world. At Thursday’s flag presentation ceremony, he also reminded the team to put their health and safety first.

Lee Yang
Sports Minister
Something that makes this trip special is that they’re going to Africa! Though everyone got a lot of vaccines, we hope everyone will take care of their health, and that the delegation and all the staff will be safe and healthy. This trip to Africa is a great opportunity to learn about other countries and cultures, to meet athletes from other countries and learn from each other.

Chen Mei-yen
Dakar Youth Olympics Delegation Head
The Youth Olympics are all about exchanges: cultural exchanges, educational exchanges, and making friends. I’m looking forward to bringing our young athletes and coaches together for this opportunity to use sports as a form of diplomacy and as a way to foster international exchange.

The Youth Olympics are open to athletes under the age of 17. Taiwan is sending 37 competitors to battle it out across 17 sports, including archery, athletics, badminton, breaking and 3x3 basketball. At Thursday’s flag presentation ceremony, baseball standout Chang Wen-ting and rising track star Wang Cheng-yu accepted the team flag and NT$200,000 in bonuses for the delegation, symbolizing the athletes’ unity, determination and readiness to represent Taiwan on the world stage.

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#dakar #youtholympics #senegal #taiwan #sports

2026-10-09