National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Chairman Chen Chuan-shou (陳全壽) insisted on resigning yesterday while attending a meeting of the legislature's Education and Culture Committee.
Chen had previously pledged to step down if Taiwanese athletes didn't win 15 gold medals in the Asian Games in Doha.
Taiwanese athletes won nine gold medals, 10 silver and 27 bronze for a total of 46 medals.
Despite requests from Premier Su Tseng-chang (
Chen stuck by his pledge to quit, saying that he would "take responsibility" for Taiwan's performance at the Doha games.
Nearing retirement age, Chen added that he needed to return to his post as president of Taiwan National College of Physical Education before retiring in order to secure his pension from the school.
Chen said that he looked forward to continuing to contribute to the nation's athletic competitiveness as head of the Taipei-based college.
Chen, the nation's first Olympic athlete with a doctoral degree, was a track and field star in the 1960s, participating in the Asian Games and the 1969 Olympic Games in Mexico.
Cabinet Spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (
"But for similar cases like this the premier would approve the resignation," Cheng told reporters.
"However," Cheng added, "up to this moment, his resignation isn't on the premier's desk."
Additional reporting by Jimmy Chuang
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