Sat, Apr 05, 2025 page6

• CTFA announces new soccer calendar

  ‘PRESIDENT CUP’: The revised calendar, in which the season would run from August to May, would bring the nation in line with most European and Asian leagues

  • By Jason Pan / Staff reporter
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  Taiwan’s soccer authorities have implemented major reforms to align the domestic game with international standards, including shifting the league season to follow the calendar year and launching a new FA Cup competition open to professional and amateur clubs.

  The new tournament — officially named the Taiwan President FA Cup (總統盃) — is scheduled to begin on April 12 for the men’s division, and the following weekend (April 20) for the women’s division.

  The CTFA, which governs the sport locally, has allocated a total prize pool of NT$4.7 million (US$152,943), officials said.

  

  Hang Yuan FC players showcase their new kits for this season at a launch event in Taipei on Saturday.

  Photo courtesy of Hang Yuan FC’s Facebook page.

  Modeled on the English FA Cup, the competition is open to all teams from Taiwan’s professional leagues as well as registered amateur sides, provided their players are aged 18 or older.

  Teams must register and pay an entry fee to participate, CTFA officials said during a club event hosted by Hang Yuan FC over the weekend.

  NEW KITS

  At a season launch event in Taipei, Hang Yuan FC unveiled its men’s and women’s team rosters along with new kits designed by Taiwanese sportswear brand Entes. Head coach Hong Ching-huai (洪慶懷) also addressed the club’s transfer plans, saying they are scouting one or two tall forwards from Central Asia.

  “We’re looking to bring in a tall striker to give us an edge in the box — someone who can help us improve our attacking play and pick up more goals,” Hong told reporters.

  The coach highlighted last season’s achievements, with the men’s team finishing third in the top division and the women’s team securing second place behind champions Kaohsiung Attackers.

  He said that with some strategic additions to the squads, both teams could contend for the league title this year.

  Hang Yuan, which shares a home ground in partnership with Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City, is preparing to field both A and B squads in the upcoming President FA Cup, Hong said.

  The B team would primarily feature younger players to help them develop their skills and gain valuable match experience, he said, adding that standout performers would be promoted to the senior squad.

  CUP FORMAT

  Twenty men’s clubs have registered for the inaugural President FA Cup, and the teams would be divided into four groups of five, a CTFA news release said.

  Ten women’s teams have registered and would compete in two groups of five, it said, adding that the tournament would culminate in a knockout stage, with a final eight for the men and a final four for the women later this summer.

  Meanwhile, the CTFA board has approved a restructuring of the domestic soccer calendar to align with international competition schedules. Starting this year, the Taiwan Football Premier League (TFPL) and the women’s top division would run from August through May, in line with most European and Asian leagues, CTFA deputy secretary-general Chen Liang-chen (陳亮辰) said.

  The revised calendar is expected to better align Taiwan’s domestic league with major Asian Football Confederation competitions and international qualifiers, improving opportunities for player development and club participation on the continental stage.

  For decades, the TFPL and its predecessor, the Taiwan Inter-City League, followed a calendar-year format — typically beginning in April and concluding in December.

  However, nearly all AFC members operate on a cross-calendar-year schedule, except for China and South Korea.

  ‘ZHONGZHENG’ CUP

  Local soccer experts and veterans have said that Taiwan’s shift is less an innovation and more a return to past practices.

  Before the 1990s, Taiwan’s top-tier soccer league traditionally began in the summer and ended the following spring.

  It was not until the launch of the Inter-City League that the schedule was changed to fit within a single calendar year.

  Longtime observers also said that Taiwan once had a national cup tournament akin to the English FA Cup during what is often referred to as the country’s “golden era of soccer” in the 1950s and 1960s.

  Known originally as the Jieshou Cup (介壽盃) and later renamed the Zhongzheng Cup (中正盃), the tournament titles referenced Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).

  Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) chairman Wang Lin-hsiang (王麟祥) told reporters: “I played soccer as a teenager back in the 1960s, when we had cup tournaments such as the Jieshou Cup, which was later renamed the Zhongzheng Cup, and eventually became the CTFA Cup (足協盃) decades later.”

  “Now, we have decided to relaunch it as the President FA Cup in 2025,” he said.

  “This will help cultivate young talent and generate greater public interest in soccer in Taiwan,” he added.
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