The government is to withhold a NT$3 million (US$91,274) payment to soccer governing body the CTFA after the New Zealand women’s national team called off two matches against Taiwan due to concerns over the condition of the pitch, a sports official said on Wednesday.
A behind-closed-doors training game set to be played on Saturday and a full international friendly match scheduled for Tuesday at Kaohsiung Nanzih Football Stadium were called off.
Following the cancelation, Sports Administration Director-General Cheng Shih-chung (鄭世忠) said during a legislative session that the agency would cancel a NT$3 million payment to the CTFA.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
The agency has made strong representations to the CTFA instructing it to improve the condition of the pitch, he said.
In response to questions from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko Chih-en (柯志恩), Cheng said he was made aware of the problem on Tuesday last week and had last year instructed the CTFA to strengthen turf maintenance in the three to four weeks preceding the matches.
The incident indicates there was miscommunication between the CTFA’s competition and technical departments, he said.
“This is a disgrace, I have nothing else to say,” Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao (鄭英耀) said during the legislative session, adding that the Sports Administration would conduct a thorough review to ensure all necessary preparations are made in advance of future matches.
Ko said she learned in September last year that Kaohsiung Nanzih Football Stadium had been leased until last month, which made it impossible to undertake turf maintenance before the matches.
Kaohsiung Nanzih Football Stadium, completed in 2022 at a cost of NT$350 million, immediately drew criticism from the public because it failed to meet FIFA certification criteria.
The stadium has two pitches, one grass and one with an artificial surface, and a capacity of 1,200 seats.
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