Kaohsiung-based Taipower moved to the top of the Taiwan Premier Football League table after the second round yesterday.
Taipower moved to 6 points from two wins after prevailing 1-0 over Tainan-based Taiwan Steel, while Hang Yuen fought out a 1-1 draw against Taichung Futuro.
In yesterday’s other matches, Taipei-based Tatung trounced the Taipei Red Lions 4-0 in a game streamed on CTFA.TV via YouTube that featured English-language commentary, while Ming Chuan University battled Taichung-based NTUPES to a 2-2 draw.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan is among only five nations with top-division soccer action amid the COIVD-19 pandemic after soccer authorities in Burundi on Tuesday announced the suspension of all soccer. Clubs in Belarus, Tajikistan and Nicaragua have ongoing competitions and Turkmenistan resumed its top division Yokary Liga yesterday, with reigning champions Altyn Asyr to play Kopetdag in the capital, Ashgabat, last night.
Local fans have lauded Taiwan’s government and health authorities, saying that their efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 outbreak have been outstanding, while other countries have shut down competitions.
Taiwan is apparently the only nation that has top-level soccer, baseball and basketball ongoing, although games are being played in stadiums with no fans.
Photo: CNA
The situation has not gone unnoticed among international media and sports networks. With soccer fans around the world starved of live games, Belarusian matches are being carried in some other European countries.
Officials at the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) — the national body for the sport in Taiwan — said that the situation has presented the Taiwan Premier Football League with a golden opportunity to showcase its games to a worldwide audience.
Major sports networks are interested and discussions are under way on securing broadcast rights to league matches, league officials said.
As the deals are still being negotiated, CTFA officials cannot disclose the companies involved, although reports said that networks based in Europe and South America, as well as South Korea and other Asian countries were involved.
The first and second-round matches have been streamed, with all four matches featuring Chinese-language commentary, while one match has the option of English.
Netizens praised the CFTA for its efforts and said that they were happy to be able to see the games live.
Some asked that a weekly highlights package be made for each weekend.
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