Sports officials in Taiwan are welcoming back stadiums filled to capacity and lauding the success of health authorities in containing the nation’s COVID-19 situation, as the top division soccer leagues returned to action yesterday and professional baseball holds its championship finals next weekend.
A local outbreak of COVID-19 in May placed the men’s Taiwan Football Premier League (TFPL) and the women’s Mulan Football League on hiatus. Play was again delayed to allow national team players to compete in international matches.
However, the two leagues resumed play this weekend.
Photo courtesy of the CPBL via CNA
Yesterday in the TFPL, defending champions Tainan TSG (Taiwan Steel Group) hosted Taichung Futuro at the Kaohsiung National Stadium.
After TSG’s Yu Chia-huang opened the score sheet, Futuro’s Japanese midfielder Naoyuki Yamazaki netted the equalizer five minutes into the second half.
TSG grabbed two more goals on corner kicks as Russian midfielder Alim Zumakulov knocked in a header and another was fired home from close range when Futuro defenders failed to clear the ball.
The 3-1 victory gave TSG a total of 19 points, as they close in on Taipower, who top the table with 21. Futuro remain level with Tatung FC in third with 14 points.
On Saturday in the Mulan Football League, Hualien maintained their unbeaten streak with a 2-0 win over Taipei Bravo, Taichung Blue Whale are now tied for first after beating Hang Yuan FC 3-1, and Kaohsiung Sunny Bank routed Taoyuan Inter FC 5-0.
With COVID-19 restrictions lifted on outdoor activities late last month, league officials have said that the matches are fully open to fans.
Attendees must still wear a mask at all times, except when eating or drinking, and before entering the stadium, spectators have their temperatures taken, their hands sanitized and must register their contact details via a QR scan.
“All credit should go to Taiwan’s many doctors and nurses, for their diligent efforts in the fight against COVID-19 and for winning the battle for us to have so many days without locally transmitted infections,” governing body CTFA secretary-general Chiao Chia-hong said in an interview on Saturday.
“We would especially like to thank Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung and his deputies at the Central Epidemic Command Center [CECC],” Chiao added. “They have very challenging jobs, but have done such fantastic work at safeguarding Taiwan.”
The nation’s COVID-19 success has also enabled professional baseball to resume. Next Saturday, the CPBL’s championship finals, known as the Taiwan Series, are to begin, with title-holders the Uni-President Lions facing the CTBC Brothers in Taichung.
Faced with COVID-19, the league had to play in stadiums without fans at first, before slowly opening up ballparks to 78 percent capacity, CPBL commissioner Tsai Chi-chang said in a statement.
“As the local virus situation improved, we could resume with ballparks filled to 100 percent capacity,” Tsai said. “It is a proud moment for all of us.”
At baseball games, spectators can have food and drinks at their seats, and remove their masks temporarily as they eat and drink. The park vendors have been doing a brisk business at the concession stands.
Baseball’s popularity has been reflected in the attendance figures. Saturday’s game between the Rakuten Monkeys and hosts the CTBC Brothers at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium had this season’s highest attendance, with 12,000 spectators in the 14,400-capacity stadium.
The Taiwan Series is expected to pack the ballparks with capacity, or near capacity, crowds.
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