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National pride discouraged

The Chinese Taipei Tennis Association has signed an agreement banning Taiwan's national flag, anthem and title when its team plays China during the first round playoffs of the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania division in Taiwan this April, the Chinese-language China Times reported yesterday.

Olympic-style rules will be enforced for the matches, meaning that in addition to a prohibition on displaying Taiwanese national symbols, the nation's competitors must maintain a conservative attitude and refrain from overt displays of national pride.

The association is planning to hold the matches at Chinese Culture University in Taipei. However, as the Davis Cup is sponsored by the International Tennis Federation, which is affiliated with the International Olympic Committee, it is bound by Olympic rules.

Association secretary-general Hsieh Shih-wen (謝士文) said that "without the agreement, the Chinese team certainly wouldn't come to Taiwan to play the match. They would demand to play in a third country, which might disadvantage us."

Spectators are also barred from displaying national symbols, which is sure to cause conflict with Taiwan Woo (台灣加油隊), an organization of Taiwanese athletics supporters who are known for unfurling Taiwanese flags while cheering on the national team at athletics events.

The move comes as the association is struggling just to persuade its best players to compete in the match. Top-ranked Lu Yen-hsun (盧彥勳) is currently in the US following a spat with the association over better treatment for its players. The association's relationship with Chen Ti (陳迪) and Yi Chu-huan (易楚寰), two of the nation's top players, has also turned sour following their defeat to Thailand in the first round of the Davis Cup tournament last week. The two questioned the professionalism and competence of the national team's head coach and indicated that they might not compete against China.

Li Kao-hsiang (李高祥), vice chairman of the Cabinet's National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, said on Wednesday that the council was doing everything possible to convince Lu and the injured Jimmy Wang (王宇佐) to return to Taiwan and compete, including offering to pay for their plane tickets and accommodation.

Li went on to say that the matches were not only a matter of national honor, but also a form of foreign diplomacy.
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