The Sports Administration yesterday said that it would investigate whether the Chinese Taipei Ice Hockey Federation gave a false account of how it used government subsidies following allegations from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers.
The administration made the announcement at a news conference at the Legislative Yuan hosted by DPP legislators Chang Liao Wan-chien (張廖萬堅), Huang Kuo-shu (黃國書), Ho Hsin-chun (何欣純), Wu Su-yao (吳思瑤) and Su Chiao-hui (蘇巧慧).
The players were asked to pay for their own flight tickets when they in March last year went to Sofia, Bulgaria, to compete in the International Ice Hockey Federation U18 Championship, legislators cited reports as saying.
However, the federation later asked for the players’ receipts to apply for a government subsidy, the legislators said, adding that the federation’s accounting book listed two ticket subsidy expenses of NT$290,000 (US$9,534) each for the competition.
It also included an expense entry of NT$1.2 million for the players’ food and accommodations, which the federation had said would be paid by the tournament’s organizer, they said.
The federation gave a false account of their expenditures to receive a greater subsidy from the Sports Administration, the legislators said.
Meanwhile, the legislators also questioned the Chinese Taipei Swimming Federation’s standards when choosing the nation’s Summer Universiade athletes, after National Taiwan University business administration senior Mitzi Ting (丁聖祐) accused the federation of favoritism, rather than choosing swimmers with the highest potential to win gold.
“Why does the federation not send the best athletes it has for the Summer Universiade, which is to be held in Taiwan? After its methods of choosing the national team members were questioned by the public, why did it prevent female swimmers from competing in the individual race, allowing them only to compete in the relay? Why is it focusing on the Asia Games next year, not the Summer Universiade?” Wu said.
The Sports Administration allowed different sports federations do whatever they wanted when forming the national team, rather than insisting on a transparent and systematic approach, she added.
Sports Administration deputy director-general Lin Jer-hung (林哲宏) said that its ethics department is investigating the allegation against the hockey federation and would hand the case over to law enforcement officials if finds proof of illegal handling of the subsidies.
The agency would also discuss Ting’s allegations based on guidelines issued last year to resolve disputes involving athletes, Lin said.
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