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.
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback,” saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tie-breaker, but won six straight points to reach her eighth semi-final of the season. “Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.” “I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down
While British star Jack Draper spent the past week trying to find rhythm and comfort in his first grass tournament of the season at the Queen’s Club Championships in London, Jiri Lehecka on Saturday bulldozed everything in his path. After more than two furious hours of battle, their form was reflected in the final scoreline as Lehecka toppled a frustrated Draper, the second seed, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the biggest final of his career, against Carlos Alcaraz. Lehecka is also the first Czech to reach the men’s title match at Queen’s since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990. Draper, who