Vice Premier Eric Chu visited the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) yesterday to receive a briefing on the league’s corruption problems.
Chu, who was asked by President Ma Ying-jeou to head an ad hoc government team to chart plans to restore the image of professional baseball, was briefed by CPBL chairman Chao Shou-po.
He also consulted with the managers of the four baseball clubs that make up the league over ways to solve the problems facing the sport.
The league suffered a blow after several of its players were probed on Oct. 26 for throwing games and many of them confessed to game-fixing in return for payments from underground bookmakers.
The calls to restore the image of the CPBL, however, are not shared by all baseball lovers.
One sports commentator said in a letter to the editor of the Chinese-language China Times on Wednesday that the four professional baseball clubs were not worth saving.
The writer said the clubs were only concerned with their own vested interests and that they only cared about how to protect those interests.
It is the sport itself, not the clubs, that the government should help, the commentator said.
He dismissed the government’s conference on Tuesday as having been “useless” because it produced nothing but empty words, and said that if the league and the clubs did not quit playing for a while and carry out thorough reform, they would not win back the fans. The league needs to give itself a new lease of life, the commentator said.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
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