Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday criticized the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) for removing a banner reading “All hail Formosa” raised on Sunday by fans during a qualifying match with Turkmenistan.
DPP Legislator Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書) criticized the banner’s removal, saying the Sports Administration should do a better job of advising the CTFA, adding that fans should not be censored when they are cheering for their team.
Huang, at a joint news conference in Taipei with DPP Legislator Chang Liang Wan-chien (張廖萬堅), also said that two volleyball players were unable to participate in the Asian Youth Championship in Chongqing, China, earlier this month, because Taiwan’s Volleyball Association failed to inform the players about changes to the qualification rules that have been in place for two years.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The volleyball association was ordered to explain the incident within a week, Sports Administration international and cross-straits division director Hsu Hsiu-ling (許秀玲) said.
Lin Yung-chen (林詠晨), head of the Ultras Formosa fan group whose banner was removed, said his group has been using the same banner for nearly 10 years and had not encountered any difficulties until last year.
Lin said the slogan is meant to cheer on Taiwanese teams, adding that Formosa is a historical Portuguese name for the nation.
“The name has even been used officially for the Taiwanese team at the Olympics,” Lin said. “If Guam’s soccer team can use that island’s native language and name their team ‘Matao,’ is it not strange to forbid the name ‘Formosa’?”
Lin said the CTFA failed to communicate their requirements before the match and refused to discuss the issue, adding that the association’s actions hurt the fans’ spirit.
Huang criticized the CTFA’s failure to “explain its actions from a strong stance,” adding that the administration should clarify what constitutes a “political slogan” and what is in line with Olympic conventions.
It should also stand firm in the face of international requirements that are unreasonable, Huang added.
Hsu said that “Formosa” is deemed a political slogan by the Asian Football Confederation, adding that the nation was fined US$4,000 for displaying a banner containing the word during an East Asia Cup qualifier against East Timor in October last year.
The administration has asked the CTFA to address the issue following Sunday’s incident, Hsu said, adding that Taiwan is not the only nation that has been fined by the confederation for similar breaches.
The lawmakers also talked about a fight that broke out at the International Ice Hockey Federation U18 World Championship in Taipei on Friday, after which two Chinese players were suspended for instigating the clash with Taiwanese players.
Huang accused the Sports Administration of failing to act as an intermediary between sports associations and fans.
A domestically developed “suicide drone,” also known as a loitering munition, would be tested and evaluated in July, and could enter mass production next year, Taiwan’s weapons developer said on Wednesday. The yet-to-be-named drone was among nine drone models unveiled by the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) on Tuesday. The drone has been dubbed the “Taiwanese switchblade” by Chinese-language media, due to its similarity to the US-made AeroVironment Switchblade 300, which has been used by Ukraine in counterattacks during Russia’s invasion. It has a range of more than 10km, a flight time of more than 15 minutes, and an electro-optical
OFFLINE: People who do not wish to register can get the money from select ATMs using their bank card, ID number and National Health Insurance card number Online registration for NT$6,000 (US$196.32) cash payments drawn from last year’s tax surplus is to open today for eligible people whose national ID or permanent residency number ends in either a zero or a one, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday. Officials from the ministry revealed which days Taiwanese and eligible foreigners would be able to register for the cash payments at a joint news conference with the Ministry of Digital Affairs. Online registration is to open tomorrow for those whose number ends in a two or three; on Friday for those that end in a four or five: on Saturday
Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) officials are investigating why a Starlux Airlines flight to Penang, Malaysia, returned to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport nearly two hours after takeoff yesterday morning. The airline said in a statement that Flight JX721 to Penang took off from Taoyuan airport at 9:20am. “After the dashboard showed a signal of an abnormality in the hydraulic system, the captain followed standard operating procedures and returned the flight to Taoyuan airport for safety precautions,” the airline said, adding that the flight landed safely at the airport at 11:04am. The airline arranged for the passengers to have lunch after the flight landed and
WORKING UP AN APPETITE: Sales at the Rueifong Night Market surged 20 to 30 percent, while seats at Liouhe Night Market were packed until 1am, market officials said South Korean pop band Blackpink’s concerts over the weekend in Kaohsiung helped draw large crowds to local night markets, the Kaohsiung City Government said yesterday. The two concerts on Saturday and Sunday at Kaohsiung National Stadium drew more than 90,000 people. The city government offered NT$50 vouchers to spend locally to concertgoers who showed their ticket stubs. Liouhe Night Market (六合夜市) management committee head Chuang Chi-chang (莊其章) said that crowds over the weekend surged at about 10pm and the market remained packed until 1:30am. “Almost all the seats were filled,” Chuang said. Night market stall owners had stocked up in expectation of an increased number
RSS