Public funding to the Chinese Taipei Skating Union (CTSU) is to be suspended for one year and secretary-general Eddy Wu (吳奕德) has been dismissed in response to the union’s decision to forfeit hosting rights for a top Asian competition, the Sports Administration announced yesterday.
Without consulting the union’s board of governors, Wu gave up the rights to host the Asian Open Figure Skating Classic, causing damage to the nation, Sports Administration Deputy Director-General Lin Che-hung (林哲宏) said.
The union was to host the tournament from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 at the Taipei Arena after the International Skating Union (ISU) granted it hosting rights.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
However, the CTSU on Tuesday last week said that the nation’s right to host the competition had been revoked by the ISU.
At the time, the CTSU said that it had received a letter from the ISU saying: “The current international situation is unsuitable for Taiwan to host such an event,” but it was later discovered that the quote was false.
The ISU on Wednesday last week said that it had at the end of May received indications “from several ISU Asian Member Federations,” including the CTSU, that it would be preferable to host the event elsewhere.
The ISU did not give any reason, saying only that “it was finally decided” that the event would be hosted by Hong Kong.
Wu on Thursday last week confirmed that the CTSU had in May proposed moving the event, but said that it was done out of fear that athletes would boycott the competition.
The inconsistency of the statements made by Wu and the CTSU also factored into yesterday’s decision, the agency said.
Wu told a task force investigating the matter that there was “invisible international pressure” from China, although he did not say if Beijing had demanded that he keep its role secret, Lin said.
The task force found that Lin contravened CTSU rules by failing to consult the board or report his decision to the Sports Administration, Lin added.
The task force also issued a warning to the union and froze its funding for a year, with the exception of subsidies for athletes’ training and participation in competitions.
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