Taiwan’s top pool player Wu Chia-ching could obtain Singapore citizenship to play there after his salary demands were not met, a Taiwanese sports official confirmed yesterday.
“We really regret this, but the pay he requested is too high and we cannot meet his demand,” Tu Yung-hui, executive director of the Chinese-Taipei Billiard Association, said by phone.
Wu has not received Singapore’s citizenship yet, but flew there on Wednesday after pay talks collapsed.
Wu’s father said Chia-ching is in Singapore for holiday.
“Wu Chia-ching has not signed the contract with Singapore yet. Singapore has only made the verbal offer to him,” Wu Chen-chung told cable TV channel FTV.
Wu Chia-ching met with Taiwanese Sports Minister Tai Hsia-ling and Tu, head of the billiards association, on Feb. 19 to demand a pay rise.
If that was not met, he said he would play for Singapore.
“Singapore, eager to attract sports talents, has offered him the equivalent of NT4.6 million [US$130,000] per year, but we can only raise our pay to NT$600,000,” he said.
Wu, 20, became the youngest-ever world champion aged 17 in 2005.
However, he has complained about funding and the lack of retirement provisions.
Players are not paid unless they are picked for training for the Asian Games for which they can receive NT$25,000 per month.
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