This year’s Taiwan Athletics Open, which typically draws top international athletes, has been canceled ahead of its June schedule, as funding for the Ministry of Sports has not yet cleared the legislature, the organizing body said on Wednesday.
All registration fees would be fully reimbursed, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association (CTAA) said in a statement, apologizing for any inconvenience.
Funding for the athletics competition was allocated by the Ministry of Sports as part of its wider budget for fiscal year 2026, which remains stalled in the legislature, CTAA secretary-general Wang Ching-cheng (王景成) said.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
Asked about the cancelation of the Taiwan Athletics Open, Minister of Sports Lee Yang (李洋) yesterday said that his ministry would use its sports fund, which supports athlete development and international competitions, to provide continued assistance to the association.
The central government’s budget of NT$3.035 trillion (US$95.6 billion) for this fiscal year has been stuck in the opposition-controlled legislature since January, with only a small fraction approved for funding in areas such as public transportation, road infrastructure and maternity subsidies.
The Taiwan Athletics Open, an annual event inaugurated in 1973, typically provides a rare opportunity for local athletes to compete against international talent on home turf.
This year’s edition was scheduled for June 6 and 7 in New Taipei City.
In 2024, the meet was classified by World Athletics as a Continental Tour Bronze-level event, allowing athletes to earn world ranking points and attracting overseas competitors, including Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse, the men’s 200m Tokyo Olympics gold medalist.
Having been upgraded to Continental Tour Silver, this year’s edition of the meet would have offered more ranking points.
As of press time last night, Wang had not responded to a request for further information.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Sports Cheng Shih-chung (鄭世忠) yesterday announced his resignation, saying he plans to return to teaching at National Taiwan Sport University.
He said the move was not motivated by any factor in particular, but rather he felt that he had completed his duties and wished to continue developing Taiwan’s sports education system.
The ministry’s operations are all on track, making it an opportune time to step away from the position, he said.
Cheng’s term was due to end in February next year, meaning he stepped down 10 months earlier than planned.
Cheng became Sports Administration director-general in 2023, and was appointed as political deputy sports minister when the ministry was established in September last year.
Lee said at the Legislative Yuan that the move would not affect operations and he would ensure that projects continue as planned.
Additional reporting by Lin Yue-fu, Chung Li-hua and Hollie Younger
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