Category：Sports

Taiwan’s gymnastics team full of confidence for Asian Games

The countdown is on for the 2026 Asian Games, which will kick off next month in Nagoya, Japan. Taiwan will be fielding athletes in many different sports, and one of the key disciplines to watch out for this year is gymnastics. The National Sports Training Center on Wednesday held a media day with the King of the Horizontal Bar Tang Chia-hung, the Prince of the Pommel Horse Lee Chih-kai, and their coach. Tang is considered a strong contender for the gold medal on his return to the Asian Games after an 8-year hiatus. Let’s hear more.

Lin Yu-hsin
Gymnastics Head Coach
As long as Chia-hung stays healthy and executes his routine’s full difficulty, he should definitely be bagging a medal for horizontal bar. It may very well be a gold one, so let’s hope he’s in good health.

Tang Chia-hung
Gymnast
Of course my goal is gold. I’m not going to play it safe. Every competition is a different experience.

Lee Chih-kai
Gymnast
I’m hoping to go for a third consecutive title. It’s all about making history. That’s what makes competition so exciting: making history and breaking records.

Lee has won two gold medals in a row for pommel horse at the Asian Games. But due to an injury that required surgery, he ended up missing out on the Olympics after his back-to-back titles in the Asiad. After two difficult years, he’s finally found his confidence thanks to a bronze at the Asian Championships earlier this year. The Asian Games will be held from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4. With Lee and Tang at the helm, Taiwan’s gymnastics team is looking forward to outdoing their previous haul of one gold and two bronzes.

#gymnastics #asiangames #gymnast #gym #pommelhorse #horizontalbar #athlete #athletic #sports

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2026-08-19

Taiwan to host Premier12 and Olympic baseball qualifiers

Big news for baseball fans. Taiwan is set to host two major international tournaments over the next two years. Hot from winning it all in 2024, Taiwan will be hosting the opening round and the super round for the next edition of the Premier12 baseball championship, which will take place in 2027. In addition, the final qualifier for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will also be held in Taiwan. Let’s hear what people think.

Member of public
Happy about news
I think it’s great. As the host country, people from all over the world will come to Taiwan for tourism. Our team will also have support right at home, so they’ll be more motivated.

Member of public
Happy about news
Of course it’s nice. It can increase our visibility worldwide.

Voice of Hsu Wei-chih
Baseball commentator
We have our own cheering style in Taiwan, and our cheerleading culture. People have said it’s worthy of the MLB. We should make sure Team Taiwan plays in the evening, not in the afternoon. Since the CTBA has earned hosting rights, they should give our national team a little advantage.

Tsai Chi-chang
CPBL Commissioner
It’s in great part thanks to Chairman Koo. He overcame every obstacle to secure hosting rights for Taiwan. This gives us home turf advantage, and lets baseball fans come to the games without having to fly overseas.

Hopes are high that Team Taiwan will rise up the ranks once again, to clinch another top class international championship. After all, back in 2024 the road to victory also started at the Taipei Dome. Taiwan won four out of five games in the preliminary round, thanks to the support from fans who came out in droves to cheer for the team. The upcoming baseball events are key for Taiwan, as they both act as qualifiers for the Olympic Games, which Taiwan does not want to miss out on.

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#olympicgames #baseball #taipei #taipeidome #homerun #premier12

2026-08-14

Sun Moon Lake is cultivating ride leaders to lead cycling tours

Cycling around Sun Moon Lake in Central Taiwan is always a joy. Now, to enhance cyclists’ experience, the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration is training ride leaders to act as tour guides for groups rides. They will lead tourists cycling on five different scenic routes to help give them an appreciation of the natural beauty and indigenous cultures of Sun Moon Lake. Let’s find out more.

Cycling under the shade of trees with the beautiful scenery of Sun Moon Lake next to you is pure bliss. But do you really know the safest way to cycle?

- If you press the front brake with your right hand, it will tumble and flip over.

If you don’t brake properly, you’ll fall off and get injured. And what you might easily overlook is that getting on and off the bike also requires skill.

- When you need to dismountwhen riding, stand up as if you’re walking upstairs, slow down and dismount slowly.

They are not just cyclists; they will be ride leaders—guides trained by the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration to help fellow riders complete the course safely!

Chu Ying-chang
Sun Moon Lake ride leader coach
While ensuring safety, making participants feel respected and having a pleasant experience, we also want to help our local area by promoting tourism industries.

In addition, the ride leaders will also guide tourists to have a deeper understanding of the natural landscape, share local stories and showcase the tourist attractions of Sun Moon Lake.

Trainee
Sun Moon Lake ride leader training program
This training for ride leaders will equip us with some specialized safety and technical knowledge, so we can provide tourists with a better travel experience.

The Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration will launch bicycle tours guided by these ride leaders. They will take tourists to explore beautiful scenery along five routes. Through these professional ride leaders, tourists can discover hidden gems of Sun Moon Lake and savor them in detail.

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#Taiwancycling #Taiwantourism #Sunmoonlake #Nantou #centralTaiwan #Taiwanscenery

2026-08-12

Taiwanese baseball fans flock to New York for 22nd MLB Taiwan Day

The New York Mets’ Taiwanese Heritage Day celebrated its 22nd anniversary on July 26, but this year had a special first: Taiwanese-American NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren threw out the first pitch. Lindgren faced stiff competition from two other celebrity pitchers: CPBL commissioner Tsai Chi-chang and Ive vocalist Jang Won-young, a pitcher whose change-up might’ve stolen the hearts of Taiwanese K-pop enthusiasts.

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren throws a pitch and CPBL commissioner Tsai Chi-chang hurls another strike. The Taiwanese duo is in Citi Field, home of the New York Nets. But today the Big Apple is full of Taiwanese baseball fans who are wearing Taiwan No. 1 shirts for Taiwanese Heritage Day, which celebrated its 22nd anniversary this year.

Kjell N. Lindgren
Taiwanese-American NASA astronaut
I’m more nervous about throwing out a first pitch than I was ever about launching into space.

Born in Taipei in 1973, Lindgren fulfilled his lifelong dream back in 2015 when he first went into space. Regardless of whether he’s on Planet Earth or in the cosmos, Lindgren has always cherished maintaining his connection to Taiwan.

Kjell N. Lindgren
Taiwanese-American NASA astronaut
Celebrating Taiwan Day for 22 years at Citi Field with the Mets, and I’m excited to be here.

For years Taiwanese fans have called on the MLB to hold games in Taiwan, and even CPBL Commissioner Tsai Chi-chang promised he’ll be extending an invite to the world’s biggest professional baseball league.

Tsai Chi-chang
CPBL Commissioner
For Asia, MLB currently only holds regular season games in South Korea and Japan. We have many fans who are looking forward to the day when games might be played in Taiwan. So, I’ll bring this matter up with the MLB’s commissioner.

It may have been Taiwan Day, but Asian neighbor South Korea also had its talent on display in the ballpark. Ive’s Jang Won-young threw the game’s official first pitch.

Jang must’ve practiced her wind-up as well as that coquettish pose for the camera. Overall, it was a great day for Taiwanese baseball fans, who were able to witness Taiwan sports diplomacy blended with a touch of K-pop entertainment.

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#K-pop #Ive # JangWon-young #KjellLindgren #NASA #MLB #baseball #Mets #NewYork

2026-07-27

Taichung junior-high team wins US baseball tournament

The Taichung Beishi Junior High School baseball team recently won a tournament in San Francisco with a 10-1 victory in the championship game. It was a proud moment for the overseas Taiwanese community, who helped the team celebrate their victory with an American-style barbeque. The tournament was an opportunity for US and Taiwanese youth to build lasting friendships.

A baseball team from the Taichung Municipal Beishi Junior High School cheers as they win a championship game in San Francisco 10-1.

This young team started coming to San Francisco for training and friendly competition two years ago. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang even showed them support during their first visit in 2024. This year they were in the US from July 2 to 15, overcoming their opponents to win the tournament.

Lee Tien-hsun
Team member
I’m so happy! We kept losing the first few games, but in the end, everyone got back in form.

Tai Che-wei
Team member
We finally found our rhythm in the championship game.

Chen Yen-jui
Coach
The students all worked very hard. This is also my first championship since coming to Beishi. I’m so happy, thank you!

The team celebrated their victory with an American-style barbeque. They even joined hands to sing and dance to the Taiwan sports anthem, “Taiwan Strong.”

Lin Hung-tai
School principal
A huge thank you to the overseas Taiwanese community for their support and care for Beishi Junior High! Our English volunteers helped our students improve their English, while the US coaches provided them with technical training based on sports science.

The Beishi Junior High baseball team traveled to the US for training and competition, bringing home the championship. It was a unique chance to hone their skills and broaden their international view.

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#TaiwanUS #baseball #exchange #training #tournament #championship #sports #summer #SanFrancisco #Taichung

2026-07-17

Restaurant boss and footie fan gets out flare and gets in trouble

Early this morning, Taipei Expo Park was packed with football fans cheering on Argentina and England during their semi-final match. Argentina came back from one goal down and ended up winning the match in stoppage time. The Taiwanese-Argentine owner of the Argentina-style cuisine restaurant got so excited that he lit a smoke stick. This moment of exuberance might end on a sour note though, as his smoky celebration violates the Social Order Maintenance Act.

Wang Yu-chun
FTV Reporter
With so many people paying attention to the World Cup, this restaurant in Taipei Expo Park is broadcasting the match so that its workers and fans can watch the match together. But who would’ve thought that it’d be the boss who ended up getting into trouble with the law, which all started when he got a bit too excited after his team scored a goal.

Restaurant Cook
Witnessed the smoky spectacle
The boss is a really good person. He works hard at his job, and he comes to work every day. Maybe he did what he did because his country’s team won, so he got pretty excited.

Chan Yu-wei
Yuanshan Police Station, Taipei
Our online police patrol saw videos in our jurisdiction’s Taipei Expo Park where there were people who were using smoke sticks. A large mass of people had gathered at the location to watch a live sports match. Using that kind of smoke stick has the potential to harm others.

All the early morning commotion makes sense considering that there’s an English restaurant located right next to this Argentine eatery. Even though no one was hurt, the police are taking the potentially dangerous actions seriously. This event serves as a reminder that even the most passionate of celebrations need to follow the law.

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#thelawisthelaw #Argentina #WorldCup #England #smoke #TaipeiExpoPark

2026-07-16

482 athletes to compete for Taiwan at Asian Games in Nagoya

The Asian Games will be taking place in Nagoya this year, starting on Sept. 19. Taiwan has already put together a national team, which features some of the country’s top sports stars. The roster includes tennis aces Hsieh Su-wei and Chan Hao-ching as well as badminton stars Chou Tien-chen and Wang Chi-lin. Also going to Japan will be Olympic gold medalist boxer Lin Yu-ting and heartthrob judoka Yang Yung-wei. At a presser on Tuesday, Minister of Sports Lee Yang offered words of encouragement to all the competitors, and had a special message for his former badminton doubles partner. Let’s hear what he said.

Seeing most of the athletes competing in this year’s Asian Games… I, of course, have to especially mention Wang Chi-lin. It seems that for him, every Asian Games run marks a farewell with his latest doubles partner. I hope that we can provide the best logistical support to every athlete, coach, and delegation member. That’s the most important thing for a competitive athlete. No matter what the results may be, it is our ministry’s duty to stand behind each of them and offer them our support.

Team Taiwan managed to bag 19 gold medals at the previous Asian Games, tying its best-ever showing. But Lee did not set a target for the upcoming edition, saying that he did not want to put any additional and unnecessary pressure on the athletes. Instead, he said, he just wants to be their strongest source of support. All in all, 482 athletes will be heading to Nagoya, to compete in 34 sports.

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#sports #asiangames #competition #leeyang #ministryofsports

2026-07-14

Kinmen to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Kinmen Marathon

The Kinmen Marathon will hold its 20th anniversary on January 16 next year. The Kinmen county government has announced various activities, including a nostalgia exhibition area and upgraded Kaoliang liquor and other special gifts for contestants. Let’s find out more.

Bang! The starting guns fire simultaneously as a massive pack of runners surges forward like wild horses, filling the air with excitement. The annual Kinmen Marathon is a major event in the sporting world; to welcome next year’s milestone 20th anniversary, the county government has specially produced a promotional video.

Chen Hsiang-lin
Deputy Kinmen County Commissioner
The 2027 Kinmen Marathon marks its 20th edition. For any brand, reaching a 20-year milestone is quite an achievement. We hope the Kinmen Marathon will continue to thrive and establish itself as a premier brand on the international marathon circuit.

Ou-yang I-hsiung
Kinmen County councilor
It began when I was a student at National Quemoy University. Seeing all this along the way until today makes me very moved.

The Kinmen County Government held a press conference to officially announce that the 20th Kinmen Marathon will be held on January 16th next year. This 20th-anniversary limited edition not only features a "nostalgia exhibition" at the event but also offers a rich variety of commemorative gifts for finishers. Additionally, to encourage former participants to return, a secret “homecoming gift" will be provided.

Chen Hsiang-lin
Deputy Kinmen County Commissioner
For the gift for completing the race, we have made a special upgrade to the Kaoliang liquor. We also encourage all the runners who have participated in the Kinmen Marathon to keep coming back to Kinmen to relive their past memories here. That is why we are offering a special “homecoming gift.”

The Kinmen County Government invites runners from all over the world to embark on this internationally certified course, experience the charm of battlefield culture and the warmth of Kinmen residents, and together, write the most exciting chapter of the Kinmen Marathon.

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#Kinmenmarathon #Kinmen #Kinmenactivities #marathons

2026-07-09

Sports lottery rep who criticized Olympian apologizes after backlash

The altercation between the head of a sports lottery association and the Ministry of Sports has come to an end. In a recent social media post, Ho Yu-chi criticized the leadership of Sports Minister Lee Yang, who was advocating for reforms to the sports lottery system. Ho took the potential change as an affront, saying that Lee had painted the sports lottery industry as an obstacle to reform with vested interests. After public backlash against his criticism, Ho has put up a new post, apologizing to Lee and announcing he would leave the industry forever. Let’s hear from him.

Ho Yu-chi
Sports lottery industry representative
I would like to offer a deep bow in apology to Lee Yang, who brought glory to Taiwan. I am sorry. I didn’t know the ministry was working with schools to address the shortage of badminton shuttlecocks. In the rush of the moment, I vented my opinions on Facebook. That was unrelated to the efforts by the Ministry of Sports to reform various sports associations. As a leader in the industry, I am deeply saddened by the development. The government doesn’t care. And I am getting flamed online. So I might as well give back my sports lottery license. I mean what I say. Once again, my apologies to Lee Yang. I hope the controversy ends with me.

Ho said that his intention with the original post was for the Sports Ministry to listen to the voices from the grassroots. But now that public opinion has turned against him, he says he will give back his sports lottery dealer license in September. In addition, he will withdraw from the business and no longer be associated with lottery-related industries.

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#sportslottery #lottery #drama #controversy #sports

2026-07-08

New York Yankees sign 18-yo pitcher Lai Chien-fan

An 18-year-old has been signed to the New York Yankees. After 16 years, Lai Chien-fan has become the third Taiwanese player to join the Yankees, after Wang Chien-ming in 2000 and Kuo Fu-lin in 2009. Lai has just graduated from Taoyuan’s Daxi Senior High School. The signing ceremony on Friday was attended by his Yankees Taiwanese predecessors. Let’s hear from all of them.

Lai Chien-fan
New York Yankees pitching prospect
I am the New York Yankees’ Lai Chien-fan. I had chosen to attend high school in Taoyuan, which is very far away from home, but my family had supported my decision. Now, I’m going even farther. I will work harder and hopefully reach the Majors. I hope to achieve what Wang Chien-ming has. What he had achieved really wasn’t an easy feat.

Matt Slater
Yankees global player acquisition supervisor
Chien-fan displays tremendous abilities that we believe can make him a Major League player. It has been 16 years since the New York Yankees signed a player in Taiwan… 12 years since we signed a player in Asia.

Wang Chien-ming
CTBC Brothers pitching coach
Of course we hope he could stay in Taiwan. But on second thoughts, even if he did, it’s not completely certain that we will get him on our team. So it’s great that he’ll be challenging himself in the US. I hope he’ll continue on his endeavors over there.

Kuo Fu-lin
TSG Hawks player
There will be excellent players from around the world. Don’t be intimidated when you see how tall and buff they are. You’ll also become even better.

Born in Taitung to an Amis family, Lai was selected to join the country’s U18 team in Grade 11. He had thrown a fastball with a speed as high as 154km/h. According to reports, his contract is worth US$850,000, around NT$25 million. He is expected to arrive in the US before the end of the year to hopefully join the Yankees’ off-season training.

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#MLB #baseball #yankees #athlete #amazingteens

2026-06-26