President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday inaugurated the National Baseball Training Base in Tainan, calling the facility a historic moment for the sport in Taiwan.
The National Baseball Training Base is an integrated campus encompassing the stadiums formerly belonging to the Asia-Pacific International Baseball Training Centers and training facilities in the city’s Annan District (安南), including one main stadium and six fields.
Taiwanese baseball had developed from the grassroots, claiming a moment of glory when the Taitung Red Leaves unexpectedly beat Japan’s Chofu Little League team in the 1968 Little League World Series, Lai said.
Photo: CNA
The excitement generated by the win, tireless efforts by baseball fan and entrepreneur Hsieh Kuo-cheng (謝國城), and government support that followed made Taiwanese baseball what it is today, he said.
Taiwan’s globally competitive little league, senior league and big league baseball teams have won many accolades as a result of the sport’s deep roots in the nation’s history, the hard work of young atheletes and support from fans, the president said.
As a Tainan native, Lai said he grew up following the Tainan Giants and woke up early to watch broadcasts of the team playing in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Lai said he planned the establishment of the Asia-Pacific International Baseball Training Centers during his tenure as Tainan mayor, and had the opportunity as president to finalize its transformation into the National Baseball Training Base.
The president expressed hope that the new base would be utilized to its fullest potential, not only nurturing grassroots talent and national team players, but also attracting foreign teams for training and hosting international tournaments.
He called on Chinese Taipei Baseball Association chairman Jeffrey Koo Jr (辜仲諒) to steer the facility to a bright future, and said he hoped the base would become the “Asian Williamsport.”
The association should seek to host international competitions at the stadium, including U12 and U21 baseball, and World Baseball Softball Confederation Asia events, he said, adding that the stadium could be turned into a full arena through the construction of a roof.
Lai said he had full confidence in Koo’s ability to manage the base.
The National Sports Training Center in June last year determined that the park’s comprehensive facilities — including a secondary stadium for adult baseball and indoor batting cages — could simultaneously support the training needs of multiple national teams.
Additional reporting by Hung Jui-chin
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