Seven basketball clubs are to launch the Taiwan Professional Basketball League following the breakdown of talks for a new league merging T1 League and P.League+.
The owners of the new league announced the appointment of Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chuang Ruei-hsiung (莊瑞雄) as its commissioner, while the league held a draft event late last month.
Over the years, Chuang has supported Taiwanese basketball’s healthy growth by proposing amendments to the National Sports Act (國民體育法), which has enabled several outstanding foreign-born players to acquire citizenship to represent the nation at international competitions, the league said in a news release.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Over the past month, the negotiations about merging T1 and P.League+ broke down tumultuously, with corporation owners trading barbs in some instances.
Some sports pundits said they are positive about the sport’s future following a boom in the Taiwanese economy caused by artificial intelligence and other computer-related technologies, which makes it more likely that corporate owners would invest in sports, enabling better finances and signings of higher-quality players.
As T1 abolished itself following the merger talks breaking down, it gave birth to the Taiwan Professional Basketball League with seven teams: the Formosa Dreamers, CTBC DEA, Hsinchu Lioneers, New Taipei Kings, Taiwan Beer Leopards, Kaohsiung Aquas and Taipei Mars.
“This is a historic moment as the Taiwan Professional Basketball League teams draft players, and it marks the beginning of a new era... Team owners and I will put in utmost efforts to bring on the most exciting games and the best league organization to provide the most enjoyable game experiences for fans,” Chuang said following the draft event.
Local media reports said the merger talks started early last month, but they were dragged on as some club owners were unwilling to compromise on several key issues.
Meanwhile, P. League+ will get its season started in November. It consists of Fubon Braves, Kaohsiung Steelers, Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, and TSG GhostHawks.
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