Sports Affairs Council (SAC) Minister Tai Hsia-ling (戴遐齡) vowed yesterday to come up with a plan to nurture national baseball talent.
Tai’s comments came after criticism following the national team’s defeat by China at the World Baseball Classic on Saturday.
“The premier has expressed concern about the development of athletes since last year,” Tai said on her way to the legislature.
“There have been some problems with the nation’s baseball setup over the years ... the council will propose a plan to boost baseball by the end of this month at the request of the premier,” she said.
Premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄) said on Monday that the performance of Taiwan’s baseball team at the World Baseball Classic was “unacceptable” and called on Tai to come up with a proposal.
Liu requested the council work with public and private companies, the military and local governments to establish new baseball teams.
The national team came home on Sunday after being eliminated from the competition following losses to South Korea and China.
The second loss to China in a year prompted many baseball fans to vent their frustrations online.
The government needs to propose a plan to ensure sustainability of sports, Tai said, adding that the nation needs to increase the number of amateur baseball teams.
“The game [on Saturday] ... revealed some major problems with our baseball. If we don’t tackle these, the performance of our baseball team will deteriorate. This is what I’m concerned about,” Liu told Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) during a question-and-answer session.
Liu said the council was mulling offering subsidies to enterprises that were interested in launching their own baseball teams.
The benefits, Liu said, could also apply retroactively to companies that have been sponsoring teams.
Tai said the council was also considering granting the companies tax reductions as an incentive.
Liu added that local governments such as Taoyuan, Taipei County and Taichung City had expressed an interest in establishing their own baseball teams.
The benefits, Liu said, could also apply retroactively to companies that have been sponsoring teams.
Tai said the council was also considering granting the companies tax reductions as an incentive.
Liu added that local governments such as Taoyuan, Taipei County and Taichung City had expressed an interest in establishing their own baseball teams.
MILITARY TEAM
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said yesterday that it was planning to start up a military baseball team in response to the premier’s request.
“The Sports Affairs Council will be in charge of the plan and we shall contribute whatever we can to help,” MND Spokesman Major General Yu Sy-tue (虞思祖) told a press conference at the ministry.
Yu said that the military used to have three teams; the Army, the Air Force and the Navy. It should not be a big problem to recreate the teams, he said.
STARTING YOUNG
Also yesterday, Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) said the city government would invite retired professional baseball players who work in the city government to help train student teams at municipal junior high and elementary schools.
About 40 retired or laid-off professional baseball players are working as contract workers in the city’s Hydraulic Engineering Office.
The Department of Environmental Protection and Education also employed several former professional players, he said.
COUNTING
Hau said Deputy Taipei Mayor Wu Ching-chi (吳清基) would hold a cross-departmental meeting to confirm the number of former professional baseball players working for the city.
The city government will invite the players to help train teams at schools and consider the possibility of inviting the players to form a team in Taipei City.
“We should give former players job opportunities and keep those talents in Taipei City,” Hau said yesterday after a municipal meeting at Taipei City Hall.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MO YAN-CHIH, JIMMY CHUANG AND CNA
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