On Sept. 9, National Sports Day, President William Lai (賴清德) fulfilled his campaign promise with the official opening of the Ministry of Sports, helmed by two-time Olympic gold medalist Lee Yang (李洋). Lee, who just turned 30 last month, is the youngest minister in Taiwan’s history.
Despite the clean image of the athlete-turned-politician, whether Lee’s ministry can meet the public’s expectations would be key in the long run. To achieve this, the new minister must tackle two issues.
First, would Lee become a “rubber stamp” official for the Lai administration or be permitted to forge his own path? Much like a good athlete does not necessarily make a good coach, a good athlete does not necessarily make a good government official, which requires administrative experience. Would a large hospital appoint a junior doctor as superintendent? Would a major university appoint a young lecturer as its president?
Obviously, the government hopes that the young minister, glowing with Olympic success, can win the public’s favor and have a honeymoon period with the Legislative Yuan. As for the question of whether Lee needs further training or can launch new policies promptly, it remains to be seen. Top officials assisting the minister are much more experienced than he is in the administrative side of sports, which highly values tradition and seniority. Whether Lee can truly act independently would be a big challenge.
Second, he must break the current mindset on sports budget allocation. A government agency relies on the assistance of members of an “ecosystem.” In sports, they also rely on all levels, from schools to local governments, as well as sports regulating bodies and other groups.
Traditionally, the now-defunct Sports Administration provided subsidies for event organizers and the construction of sports venues, hoping that the funding would push applicants to find a self-financing mechanism, with the aim of sustainable development.
However, due to a lack of planning, concrete guidance and management, many subsidy programs have become long-term social relief. Without government aid, sports programs can hardly continue. For example, it is unclear whether the Hsinchu Baseball Stadium can reopen after numerous issues following its NT$1.2 billion (US$39.66 million) renovation.
While attempting to show their appreciation and support of sports, elected representatives often create budgets that can lead to administrative interference and a crowding-out effect. Can Lee break the bureaucratic system’s decisionmaking mindset and spend taxpayers’ money more efficiently? This would be a major challenge.
To ensure a smooth start to the sports ministry, the Lai administration appointed Lee — who is also an “associate professor-rank specialist” at National Taiwan Sport University — to serve as the sports minister. Those with a good sense can see that the intention is to reduce friction and conflict between the ministry and the legislature, and to win the public’s favor.
Whether Lee can reach a balance between administrative professionalism and personal relationships is another test.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Sports should make its resource distribution mechanism more efficient to create a better situation in Taiwan’s sports. Otherwise, the budget is likely to be spent in vain. Only time can prove whether Lee can overcome the challenges he faces as minister.
Huang Yu is a professor in National Tsing Hua University’s Department of Kinesiology.
Translated by Eddy Chang
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