Directly opposite the Taiwan delegation’s apartment block in the Athlete’s Village in Beijing are China’s red flag-draped dorms.
Taiwan’s chef de mission Tsai Szu-chueh (蔡賜爵) points at them and the ornamental pond between the two camps when he says, “It’s just like the Taiwan Strait.”
The sports administrator has been leading Taiwan’s athletes across the globe for the past 11 years, including the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, and in Doha and the Athens Olympics.
PHOTO: JOHN HANCOCK
Even so, he rates Beijing No. 1.
“The hardware, like construction, is the best and the volunteers have shown great dedication by offering high-level services,” he said, ensconced in his cozy office.
“The only disappointment is the Chinese food offered in the Olympic Village is not as unique as Beijing has claimed,” Tsai added, speaking of the limited range of fruit on offer compared with Taiwan.
Commenting on local media reports claiming Taiwan athletes were feeling at home in Beijing, Tsai said this was true to an extent because of a shared history and frequent interactions between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.
“Taiwan does enjoy closer ties with China than with other nations, not to mention the fact that we share the same language and similar culture,” he said. “But we take a dispassionate view of competing here. We do not ask that China treat us any differently to other people from around the world.”
Regarding the medal count, Tsai was reasonably bullish after the team pocketed two bronzes in weightlifting and with the taekwondo competition yet to begin.
He was talking about Athens gold medalist Chu Mu-yen (朱木炎) and said it was important not to put too much pressure on him — when taekwondo coach Hou Wei-hsing (侯緯星) walked in.
“There’s no problem with Chu’s skills,” Hou said. “His biggest rival is himself, no one else.”
Tsai admitted he was disappointed with Taiwan’s baseball team, particularly the defeat against China, but complimented the opposition.
“China’s baseball has made considerable improvements over the years, that’s not in doubt. What’s more important is for us to review our system at home,” he said.
“Some of our professional baseball players go to Japan or the US to further their careers and when important events like the Olympics come their teams do not necessarily release them, like New York Yankees pitcher Wang Chien-ming (王建民),” Hou said.
“We need to create a better environment for players to bring their talents into full play so that fans can watch their favorite players compete for our country,” he said.
Speaking of the increasing professionalism within top-level sport, Tsai said it was important for the government to pump money in if it wanted its athletes to succeed.
He said the long-awaited sports lotto launched in May had caused a backlash in sporting circles because revenues were being ploughed into social welfare programs instead.
Even so, he said, Taiwan’s athletes were being richly rewarded for winning medals, with prize money of NT$12 million (gold), NT$7 million (silver) and NT$5 million (bronze), on offer.
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38
Taiwan’s Lin Yun-ju and Kao Cheng-jui were defeated by their Chinese counterparts 3-0 on Saturday in the men’s doubles final at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Singapore Smash. Lin and Kao received their silver medals after being defeated by third-seeded duo Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin of China 2-11, 4-11, 11-13. The Taiwan pair were left playing catch-up early in the match after the Chinese duo proved unstoppable in the first and second game. Although Lin and Kao picked up their pace in the third game and at one point took a 10-8 lead, they were crucially unable to take
RSS