More than 50 pro-Taiwan football fans armed with ROC flags turned up for the bronze-medal match between China and South Korea yesterday, despite admonitions to leave their country's colors at home.
Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) earlier asked soccer fans not to bring the nation's flag to games of the AFC Women's Championship.
But that didn't stop some fans. At yesterday's game to decide the bronze medal, fans waved the nation's flag and held up posters at the match in which China trounced South Korea 8-0.
"Welcome China to our country -- Taiwan," one poster read.
Fans yesterday said they brought the flags to demonstrate the unfair treatment Taiwan receives at international sporting events.
"Mayor Ma said at the grand opening of the series that he hoped the public would not to bring Taiwan's national flags to the stadium," said Wang Chung-lung (王中瀧), who helped organize fans yesterday through his Web site, Against the Media.
"But Chinese Taipei's flags are OK. All of us think it's ridiculous. This is Taiwan and we are holding our own national flags.
"If the Chinese can wave their flags, we can, too!"
Wang yesterday bristled at the notion that an ROC citizen would be inviting trouble by waving the nation's flag.
"What is wrong with that?" Wang said. "And we don't have any law saying that a Taiwanese citizen cannot hold or display Taiwan's national flags in public, do we?"
Wang's Web site is made up of Internet surfers frustrated by the pro-unification slant of Taiwan's media.
Its members post opinions that often dissect news stories that appear in TV, radio or print media.
Lin Chong-pin (林中斌), vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, said in October that international sports activities held in Taiwan would follow the "Olympic mode."
That means Taiwan's team must be referred to as "Chinese Taipei" and Taiwan's Olympic flag instead of the national flag must be raised.
"But the `Olympic mode' is only valid inside the stadium," Lin said.
"Visitors waving national flags at the scene or putting up flags outside the stadium is fine, as long as they are not affecting the games."
A group of 20 members from the Taiwan Association of University Professors was also present in the stands yesterday, waving the nation's flag and holding posters.
"It is just a self recognition of Taiwanese people," said Tsay Ting-kuei (蔡丁貴), secretary-general of the association.
"If you respect yourself first, other people will respect you afterward," Tsay said.
"For Taiwanese people, we should recognize ourselves and be brave enough to introduce ourselves as Taiwanese."
There were no incidents reported at yesterday's match. Police officers and AFC workers helped maintain order throughout the game.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Badminton world No. 3 Anders Antonsen clinched his first Indonesia Open title yesterday after beating Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, while South Korea’s An Se-young won her second championship in Jakarta. The 28-year-old Dane sank world No. 7 Chou at the Indonesian capital’s Istora Senayan arena, winning 22-20, 21-14 in a 60-minute match to secure the prestigious Super 1000 event. Antonsen came out on top in a tightly contested first game before cruising to victory in the second. In a more closely fought women’s singles final, South Korean ace and world No. 1 An fought back from one game down to beat China’s
‘STILL’: In front of a packed New Jersey arena attended by Donald Trump and Mike Tyson, UFC 316 delivered high drama as Merab Dvalishvili retained his title Georgia’s Merab Dvalishvili scored a second-round submission win over Sean O’Malley to retain his bantamweight title at Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 316 on Saturday, with Kayla Harrison also winning by submission in the co-main event, tapping out Juliana Pena to claim the women’s bantamweight crown. In front of a packed crowd at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, which included US President Donald Trump and retired heavyweight great Mike Tyson, Dvalishvili, a 34-year-old from the country of Georgia, won the belt in a convincing, although not aesthetically pleasing, unanimous decision. Dvalishvili (19-4) sat on top of the cage and shouted
Manchester City on Monday completed the signing of left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported ￡31 million (US$41.8 million). The 24-year-old Algeria international has signed a five-year contract and will be available for the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins later this week. Ait-Nouri is expected to be just one of a trio of new City faces for that tournament with deals close to completion for AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Olympique Lyonnais playmaker Rayan Cherki. After missing out on a major trophy in the recently completed season for the first time since 2016-2017, City are hoping
RSS