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Editorial: Government still neglecting sports

On Tuesday, the nation's women's softball team defeated New Zealand at the finals of the Asia-Oceania Women's Softball Olympic Qualifying Series, thereby securing a place in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The encouraging news came just days after Chan Yung-jan (詹詠然) and Chuang Chia-jung (莊佳容) advanced into the semi-finals and finals as wildcards in women's tennis doubles at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, becoming the first Taiwanese to play in a Grand Slam final.

These exciting developments have kept the public hopeful that the nation's athletes are capable of achieving excellence.

But hopes alone are not enough to improve Taiwan's competitiveness in sports.

Jubilant fans cheered, yet government officials couldn't offer the athletes more than just conventional words of congratulation.

The government has long neglected the country's sports scene. When the country's athletes do well at international sports competitions, the government does little more than lavish awards on successful athletes who do not need support, while still neglecting sports development.

Government officials should look into ways to accelerate a flourishing sports industry.

Most of us only see the tears of joy when athletes score a hard-earned victory, but few of us witness the pain and difficulties that athletes endure on their way to the top.

Chan and Chuang illustrate this.

Chan's family was a victim of the 921 Earthquake. Her parents encouraged her to pursue her talent in tennis, although it put the family in debt and they could never afford more than an apartment that was much too small for a family of four.

Chuang has a similar background. To pay for her coaching, her father ran up huge credit card debts. Chuang's family hid their debts from her to prevent her from worrying or feeling guilty.

A talent not cultivated is a talent wasted. Many of the country's most promising athletes are in the same situation as Chan and Chuang. They lack sponsors to provide them with the necessary financial assistance to continue training and to excel.

In the case of Chuang and Chan, they are partially sponsored by companies such as the Chinese Petroleum Corp and Hsinchu International Bank. But they receive no more than NT$500,000 annually from a single sponsor, which does not cover the costs of hiring a coach and traveling abroad for competition.

The government spends a fortune every year on public relations firms and commercials to promote Taiwan in the international community. Investing in Taiwan's athletes would be a relatively cost-effective method of increasing the nation's visibility internationally. When athletes make it to the top, the whole world sees a country's fans cheering and hears its name being shouted.

The government should start by mapping out measures to invest in the nation's athletes. It should provide incentives to companies, such as tax exemptions, to encourage them to sponsor athletes.

Diplomats are not the only representatives of a country who can promote a country abroad.

For a country that is struggling for international recognition, the nation's athletes provide a rare opportunity for the world to see a passionate Taiwan.
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