Chinese basketball officials won't force a Taiwanese-owned team to include "Taiwan" or "Taipei" in its name before it can play in China's national basketball league.
The Sina basketball team -- which will be based in Suzhou and has ambitions to play in China's A division -- had wanted to include "Taiwan" or "Taipei" in its name somehow to please Chinese officials.
But the Chinese Basketball Management Center, which runs China's national basketball league, has now said that will not be necessary.
According to an official at the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association, Fei Yi-hsiang (費頤祥), deputy secretary-general of Chinese basketball organization, telephoned on Sunday to say the demand would be dropped.
Taiwan government officials had objected to a proposal to comply with the demand, saying it denigrated the country's national dignity.
Team owner Daniel Chiang (
Chiang later said Sina was quitting Taiwan's basketball league, which is in shambles and hasn't held a game in two years.
An official from the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association said the name issue was of little importance to China now that Sina has decided to leave Taiwan's basketball league.
"They thought that they could score points from the designation issue," the official said.
"Originally, they wanted a Tai-wan-registered team to play in their national league. But Sina now wants to withdraw from Taiwan's basketball league, which defeats their original purpose."
Sina's executive director, Daniel Tu (
"If the dispute is solved, I will persuade my company not to withdraw from Taiwan's basketball league," he said.
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