A Taiwanese baseball fan died of a heart attack as his side suffered what was widely considered a humiliating defeat to China in the Olympic baseball competition, local media reported yesterday.
The 74-year-old pensioner from Kaohsiung — identified only by his surname, Huang — had been a baseball fan all his life and never missed a game on TV, the Central News Agency (CNA) said.
Hopes had been high for a medal as baseball is Taiwan’s
national sport, while China began training players only five years ago, and Huang — like all Taiwanese — expected an easy win over China.
But in Friday’s game, China put up a strong defense and the game was tied 3-3 in the 10th inning, leading to extra innings which China went on to win 8-7 as the tension and frustration built up.
As the TV pictures showed the Chinese spectators jump and scream with joy at the Wukesong Baseball Field 2, Huang breathed his last, CNA said.
■USA 5, CANADA 4
AP, BEIJING
Terry Tiffee doubled in the go-ahead run and Brian Barden homered and hit a tying RBI double as the US rallied from a four-run deficit for a 5-4 Olympic baseball victory over Canada yesterday.
Brian Duensing retired 10 of the final 11 batters of the game for the win as the Americans turned a one-run result in their favor for a change. They lost their opener 8-7 to South Korea and then a demoralizing 5-4, 11-inning defeat to defending champion Cuba on Friday.
Their medal hopes seemed to be in serious jeopardy when trailing 4-0. The US team (2-2) must be among the top four clubs in the tournament to have a chance of reaching the medal stand.
“We’ve played a lot of tight ballgames,” said third base coach Rick Eckstein. “There’s no question we’ve been tested in so many ways so far this tournament. We’ve responded. I like what I’m seeing: their heart and character.”
After games against China and Taiwan on Monday and Tuesday, the US must face medal favorite and 2006 World Baseball Classic champion Japan on Wednesday night.
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
When Wang Tao ran away from home aged 17 to become a professional wrestler, he knew it would be a hard slog to succeed in China’s passionate but underdeveloped scene. Years later, he has endured family disapproval, countless side gigs and thousands of hours of brutal training to become China’s “Belt and Road Champion” — but the struggle is far from over. Despite a promising potential domestic market, the Chinese pro wrestling community has been battling for recognition and financial stability for decades. “I have done all kinds of jobs [on the side]... Because in the end, it is very
No team in the CPBL can surpass the Taipei Dome attendance record set by the CTBC Brothers, except when the Brothers team up with Taiwanese rock band Mayday. A record-high 40,000 fans turned out at the indoor baseball venue on Saturday for Brothers veteran Chou Szu-chi’s first farewell game, which was followed by a mini post-game concert featuring Mayday. This broke the previous CPBL record of 34,506 set by the Brothers in early last month, when K-pop singer Hyuna performed after the game, and the dome’s overall record of 37,890 set in early March, which featured the Brothers and the
Olympic bronze medalist Lee Meng-yuan has become the first Taiwanese athlete to top the International Shooting Sport Federation’s (ISSF) men’s skeet world rankings, while top Taiwanese shooters won golds in each of yesterday’s finals in Taoyuan. Lee’s 6,610 points put him ahead of fellow men’s skeet medalists from the Paris Olympics Americans Vincent Hancock and Conner Prince. Lee on Monday said that he was surprised by the result, although he had expected his ranking to rise after the Games, which was also the first time a Taiwanese athlete had competed in men’s skeet. Despite topping the rankings, Lee said he believed Hancock, who