Professional soccer is coming to Taiwan, with the Asia Football Confederation (AFC) backing the plan through its “Kick Off” program, Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) secretary-general Wang Sheau-shiun (王筱薰) announced yesterday.
Kick Off provides assistance on management and marketing of national leagues to AFC member associations
“We are looking at two years for planning, followed by three years of preparation. Taiwan’s professional soccer league will then start in 2018,” he said.
“Right now, the biggest challenges we face are facilities and financial support,” Wang said. “It is a basic requirement for pro soccer clubs to have their own home ground, under their own management.”
He said negotiations are underway with the Sports Administration to build stadiums in northern Taiwan for the 2017 World University Games, to be held in Taipei, which can put to use as home grounds for soccer clubs when the games end.
“Financial support and sponsorship will not be a big problem,” Wang said. “If the big business conglomerates in Taiwan are not interested, I’m sure we can find investors from the international financial market.”
“In terms of standard of living, economy and geographic distribution of population, we see that Taiwan has all the conditions necessary to develop a top-class pro soccer league,” he said.
The AFC’s Kick Off program has already approved implementation in 11 member associations: Bangladesh, Iran, Jordan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The CTFA will become the first association in East Asia to implement the AFC program, Wang said.
The AFC announced that its Vision Asia Committee had approved the CTFA’s application to join the confederation’s Kick Off development program on March 12 in Kuala Lumpur.
In his address at the meeting, AFC acting president Zhang Jilong said the Kick Off program is the start of a long journey, and asked member associations to concentrate on developments that will help the AFC to achieve world-class standards.
Wang said developments began when he attended an AFC meeting earlier this year and discussed the idea of setting up a professional league in Taiwan with the head of the AFC’s development section, Kaita Sugihara. With Sugihara’s help and the endorsement of other AFC officials, the CTFA was able to gain inclusion in the Kick Off program.
Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday fought through a second-set slump to post a roller-coaster 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Damir Dzumhur in his opening match at the Cincinnati Open. The Spaniard, playing his first tournament since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, raced through the first set, but completely lost his way in the second, dropping his serve twice against the 33-year-old Bosnian. Alcaraz regained his intensity and cut down his errors in the third set as a seventh ace took him to a match point that was converted when Dzumhur fired wide. “It was just a roller coaster,” said the second
NEXT ROUND: World No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka opened their title defenses with straight-sets wins, while Iga Swiatek and Taylor Fritz also advanced Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka got their title defenses off to smooth starts as they powered into the third round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open on Saturday. The men’s and women’s top seeds, each ranked No. 1 in the world, were both competing for the first time since Wimbledon, where Sinner lifted the title and Sabalenka bowed out in the women’s semi-finals. Sinner crushed Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1, 6-1 in steamy afternoon weather, while Sabalenka beat 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-1 under the lights of the night session. Sabalenka needed 54 minutes and a service break in the final game
Taiwan’s men’s basketball team on Monday clinched a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup quarter-finals with a 78-64 win over Jordan in Saudi Arabia, securing their best finish in the tournament since placing fourth in 2013. The win was sweet revenge for Taiwan, who were denied a quarter-final spot by Jordan at the same stage of the previous Asia Cup in 2022 after blowing a nine-point lead in the final minute and losing 97-96 on a half-court buzzer-beater. “History is part of the journey,” Taiwan head coach Gianluca Tucci said when asked about the 2022 collapse of the team, who he did
Leicester City on Sunday launched their quest for an immediate return to the English Premier League with a 2-1 win at home to crisis club Sheffield Wednesday after the visitors’ supporters protested against Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri. Wednesday are under several English Football League embargoes for a range of financial breaches, with payments of wages to players and staff delayed for the past three months. Owls fans made their feelings toward Thai businessman Chansiri clear by delaying their entry to their seats and the away end was empty as the players came onto the pitch at the King Power Stadium, with a
RSS