The Sports Administration on Saturday urged the public to help it supervise the operations of the Chinese Taipei Badminton Association, after the latter the same day elected a new chairman and board directors and supervisors before proposed amendments to the National Sports Act (國民體育法) could be passed by the legislature.
Association chairman Cheng Chun-lang’s (程俊琅) term is to end next month. Instead of the candidate who Cheng supported, the board of directors chose Chang Kuo-tso (張國祚), who grew up playing in the badminton varsity team in primary school, junior-high school and junior college.
“The association has ignored suggestions from the Sports Administration and disregarded the expectations of the public. The personnel change at such a critical juncture defies common sense. We are closely monitoring the operations of the association since the election,” Sports Administration Director-General Lin Te-fu (林德福) said.
The public should help with overseeing the association, Lin said, adding that the agency would not tolerate any illegal practices by the association.
The agency said that the amendment has secured preliminary approval at the legislature, adding that the bill would undergo further review at the end of this month when the Legislative Yuan holds an extra session.
The amendment should be passed by the lawmakers, barring any surprises, the agency said.
Because each association has to revise or stipulate its own organizational rules, convene meetings for all members and hold elections for new board directors and new supervisors within six months after the amendment is passed, the agency said it has notified all associations that would hold elections soon, asking them to postpone the votes.
The suggestion aimed at avoiding the wasting of administrative resources and possible interference to the operations of the associations, the agency said.
Lin met with Chen, as well as the association’s deputy chairman Hsieh Cheng-ying (謝震穎) and secretary general Chen Chih-yi (陳志一), on Wednesday last week, asking them to consider postponing the board elections, the agency said.
The association had said it will consider the agency’s suggestion cautiously and let the members decide if they want to accept it.
However, the agency found that the association did not even list the proposal on the meeting agenda on Saturday.
Hsieh was found to have told association members that they have informed the agency about its decision to hold a board election as scheduled.
Following the election, the association was advised not to make any major policy changes or any decisions that might take effect after the terms of those holding management positions expire and before the amendment to the act is passed at the legislature, the agency said.
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