Sports Affairs Council (SAC) Deputy Minister Chen Hsien-chung (陳顯宗) resigned yesterday after coming under fire for his comments suggesting that Taiwan should “swallow” the controversial ruling on the disqualification of Taiwanese taekwondo athlete Yang Shu-chun (楊淑君) at the Asian Games in China.
His resignation, tendered early yesterday afternoon, was approved by Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) after he consulted with SAC Chairwoman Tai Hsia-ling (戴遐齡), Vice Premier Sean Chen said.
JUST SWALLOW
At a press conference held by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) on Wednesday condemning Yang’s disqualification, Chen Hsien-chung, a former judo athlete, said that while athletes should protest against unfair rulings on site, sometimes people have to “swallow” the unjust ruling and respect the decision when their protests are overruled.
Chen Hsien-chung later apologized for his remarks after coming under fire from netizens, sports fans and lawmakers across party lines.
He apologized again on Thursday, saying he did not make himself clear on Wednesday, adding that his choice of word — “swallow” — was a common expression in the sporting world.
His resignation came after some KMT lawmakers early yesterday urged Tai and SAC deputy ministers to step down if Yang’s disqualification in the incident was due to negligence on the part of the council for failing to understand the rules regarding sensors on socks in international taekwondo competitions.
KMT Legislator Wu Ching-chih (吳清池) said Chen Hsien-chung should resign for his comments.
“After the incident, it was unbelievable that the SAC deputy minister said we should swallow the result. He should step down for this. I believe no one can swallow that,” Wu Ching-chih said.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
The age requirement for commercial pilots and airline transport pilots is to be lowered by two years, to 18 and 21 years respectively, to expand the pool of pilots in accordance with international standards, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced today. The changes are part of amendments to articles 93, 119 and 121 of the Regulations Governing Licenses and Ratings for Airmen (航空人員檢定給證管理規則). The amendments take into account age requirements for aviation personnel certification in the Convention on International Civil Aviation and EU’s aviation safety regulations, as well as the practical needs of managing aviation personnel licensing, the ministry said. The ministry
RSS