World No. 1 female golfer Yani Tseng (曾雅妮) signed a sponsorship agreement with the -Beijing-based Reignwood Group yesterday, but her father denied the company had asked his daugher to change her nationality.
Tseng Mao-hsin (曾茂炘) said the value of the endorsement could not be disclosed for confidentiality reasons, but media reports have speculated that the 22-year-old golfer will receive US$500,000 to US$600,000 a year under the two-year deal.
The sponsorship agreement requires Yani Tseng to attend two activities organized by the group every year and to wear Reignwood’s English-language logo on her shirt during tournaments.
NATIONALITY
A report in the Chinese-language China Times in April last year, citing Tseng Mao-hsin, said the Reignwood Group had offered US$25 million to have the Taiwanese golfer switch her nationality to the People’s Repbulic of China (PRC), leading some to believe that the deal signed yesterday in Beijing would require such a commitment.
However, when asked if such an offer was on the table, Tseng Mao-hsin said “there was no such thing,” adding that he blamed the media for the confusion.
HIRED GUN
However, according to a source close to the situation, the Reignwood Group initially wanted to establish a golf club dedicated to developing golfers who could represent the PRC in international competitions and has long expressed an interest in recruiting Yani Tseng to play for China.
Howver, Yani Tseng was opposed to switching her nationality and an agreement on the terms of a possible deal could not be reached, the source said.
CRITICISM
“If Yani Tseng agreed to change nationality, she would definitely be heavily criticized,” Tseng’s agent Ma Wen-hua (馬玟華) said.
The sponsorship deal comes at a sensitive time for contacts between Taiwanese athletes and China.
RECENT DEFECTIONS
Last Thursday, former world 9-ball champion Wu Chia-ching (吳珈慶) announced that he had given up his Republic of China nationality to play on behalf of the PRC, after complaining about the lack of financial opportunities for pool players in Taiwan.
Wu’s move has raised questions about the lack of opportunities and sponsorship deals available for professional athletes in Taiwan, which could leave others vulnerable to the temptation of large financial offers, such as Yani Tseng.
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