Category：Sports

Student hammer thrower breaks record at high school sports tournament

Chen Sheng-hsien, a student at Su’ao Junior High School in Yilan is in the spotlight after he broke a record for hammer throw at Taiwan’s National High School Sports Tournament. Despite winning gold in the junior high school men’s hammer throw event, he’s had to overcome a lot of challenges in his life. He used to carry gas cylinders for a gas shop to help with the family finances and he injured his lower back just before the contest. Let’s find out more.

Chen Sheng-hsien, a hammer thrower from Su’ao Junior High School in Yilan, grips at the hammer with both hands, spins his body to move the metal ball, and then throws it out, where it lands far away.

Screams erupted everywhere from the stands as Chen broke the tournament record again. This was the junior high school boys’ hammer throw event at this year’s National High School Sports Tournament. Chen may have broken a record, but his gold medal was hard won.

Chen Sheng-hsien
Su’ao Junior High School hammer thrower
To be honest, I told my coach back then that I just wanted to give up and skip the competition. But then I figured, ’Well, I’m already here anyway.’ The results completely blew me away.

Chang Ya-ting
Su’ao Junior High hammer throw coach
Actually, he was injured for a while, including the week before this tournament. Because that’s how the National High School Sports Tournament works: you either win glory or get injured.

Before the tournament, Chen injured his lower back and had even considered giving up the competition. But since he was already there, he gritted his teeth and endured the pain to compete. The back story to this gold medalist does not involve a proper training facility, but only day after day of hard training.

Chang Ya-ting
Su’ao Junior High hammer throw coach
Because our school didn’t have a basic throwing area, we drew a throwing circle on the cement ground with chalk and then started practicing like that.

Chen’s parents divorced when he was young and he lived with his grandmother. To help with the family finances, he would carry gas cylinders at a gas shop during his spare time after school. Despite the limited resources, Chen achieved the best possible results. He hopes that his success will make Su’ao synonymous with hammer throw in Taiwan.

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#Taiwansports #hammerthrow #studentsports #studentathletics #Suao

2026-06-19

‘Eagle Eye’ AI-powered baseball tracking tech at U-15 competition

The U-15 baseball graduation cup kicked off on Dragon Festival at the Taipei Tianmu Baseball Stadium. This year, refereeing is aided by a brand new technology from the Industrial Technology Research Institute, or ITRI. It’s an AI-powered ball-tracking system called “The Eagle Eye of Taiwan.” Equipped with a high-definition camera and a margin of error less than 1cm, it’s almost as powerful as the Major League Baseball’s version. Let’s find out more.

Lee Shih-chi
ITRI Central Region Campus director
This system is mainly an AI-assisted image recognition system, and uses a technique in biotechnology called label-free detection, which can analyze every good and bad strike as well as the speed of batting.

Richard Hsieh
Just Best Taiwan CEO
In our discussions with ITRI, we expressed our wish to adopt these systems fully on baseball fields. We also hope that the system can become very easy to use, so that the set of technologies can be used in riverside baseball fields.

Chen Qi-heng
Baseball coach
Most importantly, it has a clear mechanism that allows our players, and even referees and coaches to review performance of every game and training session. There will be precise numbers and clear graphics that allow players to make progress more quickly.

More than an aid for refereeing, the Eagle Eye precisely captures the baseball’s trajectory, average speed, rotational speed and exit velocity. An AI system also automatically creates a playback video for referees and coaches to refer to, for review and training purposes. The system also gives suggestions for players to improve their batting, making for greater improvements in training sessions.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#sports #baseball #training #technology #AI

2026-06-19

Angry outburst by CTBC Brothers pitching coach catches attention

The CTBC Brothers have been having a tough season so far, and their poor performance is angering not just the fans. On Tuesday, the team faced off against the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions at Taipei Dome, which resulted in a crushing defeat, dashing the team’s hopes of winning the season title. The Brothers’ pitchers handed out a total of eight walks during the game, causing their pitching coach, Wang Chien-ming, to boil over in anger. The usually calm and collected sportsman was seen slamming the door of the phone box in the dugout, in a display of rage so shocking that even the game’s commentators were taken by surprise. Let’s hear more.

- For Coach Wang Chien-ming…Wow…
- He really is furious.
- You rarely see anything like this.

George Chao
Baseball commentator
The pitchers couldn’t even throw strikes, so Wang Chien-ming probably got angry in the moment. I think that his frustration had been building up over the past month, as the team’s pitching performance has been quite far from Wang Chien-ming’s expectations. I actually ran into him recently and asked whether the pressure gets heavy when the team isn’t doing well. He said: yes; that now, no matter how he stands, how he talks, or how he tries to coach the players, it feels like nothing is working or feels quite right.

Wang is known for his quiet personality, and the last time he had an outburst in public was during a game some 20 years ago, when he was the ace pitcher for the New York Yankees. After giving up a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, Wang stormed off the field and threw his glove to the ground in frustration. Two decades later, he is once again angry but in a different role. Watching his young pitchers struggle, he could hardly hide his disappointment, a feeling many fans would understand.

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#baseball #outburst #slam #pitcher #cpbl #CTBCBrothers

2026-06-03

Taiwan’s first sports recovery competition to take place in August

As Taiwan’s athletes shine brighter on the international stage, post-exercise recovery and care is becoming a greater focus of attention. The Taiwan Exercise Recovery Association is to host Taiwan’s first-ever Exercise Recovery Techniques Open in August, hoping to introduce the latest techniques to build a more comprehensive sports recovery environment. At the launch event, a number of experts stepped forward to demonstrate their skills.

An aromatherapist gives a massage with essential oils, her hands gliding across muscle in fluid strokes. She uses elbow pressure and subtle shifts in body weight to adapt to the body’s responses.

On the other side, another masseuse uses rods and other tools to apply pressure from various angles, going step by step to work down through the tissue. At this event, seasoned sports recovery professionals demonstrated the skills they use to compete in various international competitions.

Chiu Chi-fei
Sports masseuse
Sports massage abroad emphasizes the Swedish style, using oil for the flow as well as stretching. They tend to focus on the fundamentals. But in Taiwan, the approach is more geared toward problem-solving. For instance, we might use more active stretching. After gaining more exposure to other methods, we can combine all these different elements together.

Chang Yu-tzu
Aromatherapist
Traveling abroad allowed me to witness many different therapeutic elements, like singing bowls or different body language, or healing through embrace or comforting touch. They put a greater emphasis on holistic mind-body therapy.

These approaches redefine the meaning of stretching and massage. In our fast-paced modern world, people chasing maximum efficiency often tune out the distress signals sent by their own bodies, and especially neglect post-workout recovery. But when it comes to career longevity for athletes, recovery is especially important. To address this need, the Taiwan Exercise Recovery Association is to host Taiwan’s first-ever Exercise Recovery Techniques Open in August.

Chang Wei-gang
Association chair
Right now in Taiwan, we haven’t achieved true integration and collaboration across the entire industry. But overseas, sports massage competitions like this are becoming more common. We hope that through this kind of contest, we can foster a greater understanding and synergy among practitioners.

As Taiwan’s athletes continue to shine brighter on the international stage, the need for professional training and recovery is becoming ever more important. The association remains hopeful that moving forward, practitioners can incorporate cutting-edge techniques from around the world to create a more comprehensive and supportive environment for Taiwan’s athletes.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#sports #sportsmassage #sportsrecovery #massage #aromatherapy #sportsscience #holistichealing

2026-06-02

Baseball legend Chou Szu-chi’s wish comes true at Taipei Arena

During his retirement ceremony at the Taipei Dome two years ago, legendary baseball player Chou Szu-chi made a wish that has finally come true. The baseball legend said he hoped a monument would be erected to memorialize the former Taipei Municipal Baseball Stadium, which was demolished and replaced with Taipei Arena. It was a location of special significance for Chou, as that’s where his professional career kicked off. On Friday, Chou joined Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an at a ceremony to unveil the new artwork remembering that chapter of Taiwan’s baseball history.

Baseball legend Chou Szu-chi was clearly emotional posing for photos at the monument. A long-time dream of his is finally reality.

Chou Szu-chi (2024)
Baseball legend
I have a wish, which is that we commemorate the ballpark with a monument at the Taipei Arena.

Chou’s professional baseball career started here, long before the Taipei Arena was even in planning. Now, his dream of having the old ballpark memorialized has come true, with a plaque on the wall and a home plate on the pavement. Chou saw the project go from an idea to a reality.

Chou Szu-chi
Baseball legend
This marks the beginning of preserving Taiwan’s baseball memory. This place is a sacred site for Taiwanese baseball. This accomplishment feels like a major step forward for Taiwan’s baseball culture.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei Mayor
We’re thrilled to unveil the monument here memorializing the former site of the Taipei Municipal Baseball Stadium.

Chou also touched on the struggles of his former team, the CTBC Brothers, whose disappointing performance this season has frustrated fans.

Chou Szu-chi
Baseball legend
Everyone needs to lock in. These results… and the process… It’s not just me who finds it hard to watch. I think a lot of fans can’t bear it either.

Chiang Wan-an
Taipei Mayor
I’m delighted to see some teams doing well, but since I’m here with Chou Szu-chi, I probably shouldn’t elaborate on that too much.

For Wei Chuan Dragons fan Mayor Chiang, it’s great news that the team is killing it lately, but with Chou within earshot, he quickly changed the subject. But regardless of winning or losing, baseball brings everyone together.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#baseball #weichuan #taipei #sports #ballpark

2026-05-29

Business finds success from making running sandals out of oyster shells

As more Taiwan’s footwear industry is moving overseas, one factory in Luzhou has broken through by cracking the circular economy. Lu Shu-cheng, general manager of Decheng Shoes, was inspired by annoying oyster shell waste common in her hometown. After calcifying and then grinding the shells, then combining the powder with rubber-like EVA materials, she can make naturally antimicrobial sandals. Ever since famous marathon runner Lo Wei-ming was spotted wearing the shoes, they’ve gained international renown. Lu makes it her mission to give back to her community by recycling old shoes, serving as a shining example of the resilience of Taiwan’s traditional industries as they embrace green manufacturing.

This avid marathon runner is wearing... flip flops? Actually, these running sandals were already made famous at home and abroad by Taiwan’s ultramarathon champ Lo Wei-ming. Even former US secretary of state Mark Pompeo and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have them.

Tang Shih-ching
FTV reporter
Running in sneakers is nothing special. But is it possible to run fast in flip flops? After running for a bit in them, I actually find that the soles are very soft and flexible, and it has enough bounce. Most importantly, the thong area between the toes doesn’t hurt.

These running sandals come from a factory in New Taipei’s Luzhou District. But you’ll never guess what they’re made out of.

Lu Shu-chen
Decheng Shoes general manager
These are the shells left over from making oyster omelettes. These annoying things can be made into something useful.

When she was growing up in Yunlin, Lu Shu-chen never thought the oyster shells she was tired of seeing all the time could be broken up, calcified, and ground into a powder, then made into pellets and mixed with EVA materials to make shoes.

Lu Shu-chen
Decheng Shoes general manager
Although they’re not easy to make, since they’re naturally antibacterial, during the COVID-19 pandemic we hit a 40-year high in sales.

These are the first fully recycled sandals in Taiwan to be made with carbon plating, achieving sustainability and environmental goals. The business also encourages customers to bring their old shoes back to be recycled.

Lu Shu-chen
Decheng Shoes general manager
Making shoes that are sustainable and eco-friendly is a mission of mine. Having reached this point as a business, we have a sense of mission that—since we’ve produced a lot of pollution—shouldn’t we give back?

Exercising their corporate responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint to the absolute minimum sets high expectations for the rest of Taiwan’s footwear industry.

Lu Shu-chen
Decheng Shoes general manager
Over the next 10 years, we hope to elevate the entire industry. My greatest goal is of course, if I have the chance, I’m willing to share the results of our research with our peers, and I hope that they will follow us in moving toward sustainability. If all of us as a whole can achieve so-called sustainability, this is a better way to boost our industry. Otherwise, with so much of the shoe business already moved overseas, what else can Taiwan do?

Lu’s business has grown from a small cottage industry to a warehouse that can hold thousands of shoes with a massive flagship store. This unassuming pair of running sandals has redirected the fate of Taiwan’s entire footwear industry toward a brighter, sustainable future.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#shoes #sandals #flipflops #runningshoes #sustainability #entrepreneur #NewTaipei #footwear #traditionalindustry #DechengShoes #recycling #oysters #environmental

2026-05-01

Viral Megaport dancing granny throws first pitch for TSG Hawks

A 90-year-old grandmother who went viral after dancing at Megaport Music Festival is back, this time at the baseball pitch. Cheng Chin-chih was thrilled to get the invitation to throw the inaugural pitch for the TSG Hawks on Monday. She was so excited about the opportunity, that she practiced pitching daily for two weeks, and even wore new shoes and a fresh hairdo to the occasion. Ms. Cheng got the celebrity treatment at the ballpark, getting fully supported by the team’s mascots and even wearing a jersey with the number 90, like her age.

Dancing along with the cheerleaders is the one and only Megaport dancing granny, Cheng Chin-chih, wearing the No. 90 jersey. She’s here to take to the mound for the first time and throw the inaugural pitch for the TSG Hawks.

With a powerful throw, the ball bounced right into Wang Po-jung’s glove to a thunderous cheer from the crowd. Ms. Cheng, at 90 years old, was elated.

- How are you feeling?
- Great!
- Are you nervous?
- No!
- But there are so many people.
- I don’t get nervous.
Especially not dressed like this!
I love these trousers!
Hahaha!
Seeing everyone dancing,
I took it a little easier.

Ms. Cheng became an overnight sensation after featuring in a video dancing at the Megaport Music Festival with her granddaughter. Now she’s become the oldest person to throw the first pitch for the TSG Hawks. She got a tour of the stadium and even got fanned during the breaks by the team’s mascot, to make sure she was comfy at all times.

Liu Tung-yang
TSG Hawks general manager
The response from fans was incredible. The gags, the atmosphere and the warmth were even better than what everyone was expecting.

With such a huge responsibility and having never played baseball before, Ms. Cheng spent two weeks practicing pitches on the daily. She even wore new sneakers and got a head-to-toe makeover before the big day.

- Did you get better?
- I think I did
And I’m wearing new shoes.
- You got new sneakers for the first pitch?
- Yes, I’m wearing them for the pitch.

She even went to the hair salon the day before to get a dazzling hairstyle and show the fans and herself that, although she is 90 years old, she remains young at heart.

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#funny #baseball #taiwan #musicfestival #megaport

2026-04-20

Kids Games sporting competition coming to Kaohsiung in June

The 2026 Kids Games are taking place June 13 and 14 in Kaohsiung, organized by the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee. This year’s event, the first time it’s being held in Kaohsiung, includes 13 different sports, welcoming children to come and experience a major sporting competition. Olympic gold medal weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun attended a recent press conference to promote the games, encouraging kids and families to join in.

Young athletes perform martial arts on stage, showcasing their fitness and agility.

Other kids demonstrate fencing and boxing, showing how strong young people can be.

The 2026 Kids Games, organized by the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, are being held in Kaohsiung for the first time this year. Olympic weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun and track-and-field athlete Chen Chieh attended the games’ press conference recently, interacting with kids and encouraging them to keep doing sports.

Kuo Hsing-chun
Olympic weightlifter
I’m so happy that the committee gave me the opportunity to be an ambassador for this event. I hope that I can encourage more people, more kids, more families, more parents and grandparents to bring their kids and participate in this great event.

Chen Chieh
Olympic hurdler
Since having kids myself, I’ve come to appreciate even more the importance of exposing children to sports from a young age. After all, this is my field.

There are 13 different sporting events at this year’s games, including tug-of-war so that kids can experience teamwork.

Tsai Chia-fu
CTOC president
It was Kaohsiung’s idea to add tug-of-war for kids, which is being held for the first time during this fourth edition of the games. Tug-of-war is also one of Taiwan’s key sports on the international stage.

The 2026 Kids Games are taking place on June 13 and 14 at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, giving kids aged three to six the opportunity to experience sports on a whole new level.

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#KidsGames #Olympics #tugofwar #health #fitness #kids #children #sports #competition

2026-04-14

Figure skater Li Yu-hsiang shares journey from Ximen to Olympics

At just 19 years old, Li Yu-hsiang became the first figure skater trained in Taiwan to qualify for the Winter Olympics. Li shared his story on News Observation, from training at the Ximending ice rink to gracing the Olympic stage. He struggled with his health as a child and tried sports to stay fit, unexpectedly falling in love with figure skating. Since he was eight years old, his grandmother has been by his side for training and competitions.

This is 19-year-old Olympic figure skater Li Yu-hsiang. While sharing his story, the young man got emotional talking about his family.

Li Yu-hsiang
Olympic figure skater
Rain or shine, even on typhoon days, she would accompany me to the ice rink to train and consider my nutrition.

- Now as ... as she gets older, I think...
- Are you about to cry because your grandmother is here with you in the studio?
- Yeah. I am so thankful for her.

Li has a very close relationship with his grandmother, who supported him all the way to the Olympics.

- I saw her patting your shoulder. What did she say to you just then?
- Oh, that’s funny. She just congratulated me on advancing to the free skate segment and said to get a ticket for her.
- That’s it?
- Yeah, she just congratulated me and said I did a great job.

Li was the first Taiwanese figure skater in over 30 years to advance to the free skate segment of the Winter Olympics and the first one trained in Taiwan to qualify for the Olympics. But as a child, Li struggled with his health.

Li Yu-hsiang
Olympic figure skater
I was diagnosed with something like ADHD. I was born prematurely, so my early development and physical ability were weaker than most people.

To work on his fitness, Li started ice skating when he was eight. Starting with training at the Ximending ice rink, he has now graced the Olympic stage and made history.

Crystal Liu
Host
There are so many things you want to study and competitions to prepare for, do you have any time to date?

Li Yu-hsiang
Olympic figure skater
Of course! For me the ideal partner is supportive, lifts you up, and acts as a bridge. They don’t make you feel pressured or trapped. I think having a partner has pros and cons, but you have to find the right person.

Taiwan’s new figure skating prince Li Yu-hsiang says that, with a partner who understands and supports him, he can balance his studies with preparing for the next Olympics.

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#Olympics #figureskating #figureskater #iceprince #LiYuhsiang #Taiwan #ChineseTaipei #WinterOlympics #Milan2026

2026-03-13

Doctors confirm Team Taiwan captain suffered finger fracture

Team Taiwan had a rough start at the World Baseball Classic this year, losing their first match against Australia. But what’s worse is that Team Captain Chen Chieh-hsien was injured during the game by a ball that hit the index finger on his left hand. Amid concerns from fans and fellow players, his team, the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions arranged for a special check-up for him in Kaohsiung on Friday. Doctors confirmed he has a fracture on the distal phalanx of the finger.

The diagnosis came with a peculiar irony. Internet users unearthed an old interview of Chen with an online media platform in which he discussed his hitting technique. In it, he specifically mentioned that the index finger on his left hand was completely useless. It turns out it was an injury on that very finger that put a damper on his run at the World Baseball Classic. His team says that the injury will take four to six weeks to heal. Fortunately, light training is still OK, as long as he wears protective gear.

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#baseball #陳傑憲 #fracture #finger #WBC

2026-03-13