After 15 years of selfless service to his beloved team and devoted fans, Brother Elephants first baseman Wang Guang-hui (
The longstanding Elephants icon will remain with the ball club in his full-time role as the hitting coach, a position that he has held while retaining his player-status for the past two seasons.
An original member of the inaugural Elephants squad in 1990, Wang came to the team with a long and impressive list of amateur credentials that included the 1987 Asian Championship title and second and fourth-place finishes in the 1986 and 1988 World Cup Competition, respectively.
His valiant effort in beating former Weichuan Dragon slugger Mathis Huff of the US on the last day of the season for the batting title in 1990 (.342) was just the first of numerous accomplishments that Wang achieved over the past 15 seasons with the Elephants.
A career .285 hitter, Wang brought to the Elephants more than his passion for the game.
His uncompromising work ethic on the baseball diamond has had a major impact on his teammates both in terms of on-field performance and off-field conduct.
"Wang is more than a seng-bai to me," Elephants shortstop Chen Rei-cheng (
"Having Wang around makes us a better team in many ways," Elephants outfielder Peng "Chia-chia" Cheng-ming (
In addition to his unprecedented 13 straight All-Star selections, the 40-year-old fan favorite also holds the record for most championship rings by a player with six.
His jersey, No. 26, the number that he has used since junior high school, will be retired by the Elephants.
Wang is greatly indebted to Elephants owners Hung Rei-ho (
"Without their help, there wouldn't be the Wang Guang-hui you see standing before you," Wang said.
"The guy knows how to win," Elephants pitching ace Jonathan Hurst said. "He's a winner anyway you cut it. What more can I say."
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah on Saturday secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia with Luciano Benavides scraping home by two seconds to claim the motorbike title. “We’ve worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it’s there, deep down. We are so happy to win,” al-Attiyah said at the finish. Al-Attiyah, at the wheel of a Dacia, only had to avoid a final day slip-up to top the podium after bringing his career tally of stage wins to 50 on Friday. The 55-year-old, who took clay pigeon shooting bronze at the
Tobias Harris on Monday scored 25 points as the Detroit Pistons held off the Boston Celtics to score a 104-103 victory in their top-of-the-table Eastern Conference showdown. Harris was one of four Detroit players to finish in double figures, with Jalen Duren adding 18 points and point guard Cade Cunningham scoring 16 points with 14 assists. The win sees Detroit extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to 31-10, 5.5 games ahead of second-placed Boston, who fell to 26-16 with the defeat. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scoring with 32 points and almost snatched victory in the