Taiwan opened its Olympic baseball campaign with a 5-0 win against the Netherlands at the Wukesong Baseball Field in Beijing yesterday — but a Taiwanese player tested positive for a banned substance.
Chang Tai-shan (張泰山), one of the team’s best hitters, was banned from playing the first game. Chang’s urine A sample, collected on July 27, was reported to be positive on Tuesday, one day before Taiwan started the tournament.
The team will appeal Chang’s test result, Taiwanese Olympic delegation leader Tsai Szu-chueh (蔡賜爵) said in Beijing yesterday.
PHOTO: WANG YI-SUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Chang, who had expressed dismayed at the test result, had denied taking banned substances, Tsai said, adding that he had followed medical advice.
Chang had been taking male fertility pills, but stopped using the medication before attending the Games, Tsai said.
If Chang’s B sample fails to pass a test in Japan on Friday, Chang will be banned from international competition for two years, Tsai said.
In Taiwan, meanwhile, excited baseball fans lined up outside a fast food restaurant near National Taiwan University yesterday before it opened at 8am.
They were hoping to be one of 100 customers to be treated to fried chicken burgers and nuggets, but were even more eager to watch the team score their first victory.
To accommodate so many fans, the restaurant set up three large screens so that fans sitting at different corners of the room could watch the game.
Lee Yi-Hsien (李奕賢), a college student, wore a bright-red T-shirt with the national emblem and “Taiwan, Home of Baseball” printed on the front. While speaking to the Taipei Times, Lee could not contain his excitement.
“I’m just thrilledl,” he said.
Lin Ying-fu (林盈甫), a math senior, carried a national flag and a paper fan with the words jingzhong baoguo (精忠報國 “Serve Your Country with Loyalty”) and came with three other friends. Normally a late riser at 1pm, this time he got out of bed at 8am to cheer for the team.
After the game started, fans fixed their eyes on the projection screen while chowing down on burgers and nuggets.
The crowd was elated to see Taiwan end the top of the first with the first double play of the game. Applause rose again at the bottom of the first inning when Lin Chi-sheng (林智勝) scored the first run.
Fans were also invigorated by starter Chen Wei-yin’s (陳偉殷) performance, who delivered a total of seven strikes throughout the seven innings that he pitched. At times they shouted “strike him down” in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) when Chen threw a strike.
The crowd was ecstatic when the team scored three points and put the game beyond the Dutch.
“There is only one word to describe how I feel: happy,” said Liu Chin-ro (劉沁柔), a recent college graduate.
Additional reporting by CNA
Also See: Taiwan begins campaign with win
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
The number of births in Taiwan fell to an all-time monthly low last month, while the population declined for the 16th consecutive month, Ministry of the Interior data released on Friday showed. The number of newborns totaled 8,684, which is 704 births fewer than in March and the lowest monthly figure on record, the ministry said. That is equivalent to roughly one baby born every five minutes and an annual crude birthrate of 4.52 per 1,000 people, the ministry added. Meanwhile, 17,205 deaths were recorded, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,521, the data showed. More people are also leaving Taiwan, with net
RSS