The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July.
The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas.
The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang Chih-yuan (莊智淵).
Photo courtesy of the Sports Administration
It added it will send an official letter to the association, suspend all subsidies until an apology is issued and replace the secretary-general of the association if necessary.
In a statement released Saturday, the table tennis association said that Yeh and several other players were advised to prioritize the Asian Youth Championships in Uzbekistan over the WTT United States Smash in Las Vegas due to scheduling conflicts.
As a member of Taiwan’s national U19 team, Yeh is expected to represent the country in four designated youth tournaments, including the Asian Youth Championships -- but not the WTT tournament in the US, the association said.
Chuang said he informed the association as early as April that Yeh intended to focus on three open-age international events, including the WTT US Smash, and not participate in the youth championships.
Despite this, the association passed a resolution in early May requiring the 17-year-old to take part in the Asian Youth Championships.
Chuang said the young player, who won the U19 women’s singles title at the WTT Youth Star Contender in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 4, received an invitation to compete in the Las Vegas tournament later in May.
According to Chuang, CTTTA Secretary-General Yeh Kuo-chin (葉國欽) said he would respect the player’s decision not to compete in the Asian Youth Championships, but the association would still not send her to the WTT tournament.
Chuang only found out Yeh had been left out of the WTT US Smash after the tournament draw was released and did not include her.
Yeh’s mother said yesterday that the CTTTA secretary-general should apologize for the mistake and promise such incidents would not be repeated.
"The association should be on the players’ side and help them," she said.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
RSS