Sports

Jeremy Lin given another chance to start in Brooklyn

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 28, 2016
By: AP, NEW YORK

Jeremy Lin knows he will carry the weight of “Linsanity” as wide as the Brooklyn Bridge heading into the new NBA season.

“People are quicker to discount me or say certain things because of my race,” said Lin, the league’s first US-born player of Taiwanese descent. “In some ways, Linsanity wouldn’t have been Linsanity if I was a different skin color most likely. It wouldn’t have been as big of a deal. That went to my advantage, but if you look prior to that, a lot of the obstacles or positions to even get to that point where I could get to a position of getting on the floor, they’re definitely obstacles or barriers or stereotypes I had to fight along the way. I’ve always understood there’s good, there’s bad and you’ve got to take them together and just be thankful for it all.”

After captivating New York and becoming a global phenomenon by averaging 24 points, nine assists and four rebounds for the Knicks during a 10-game stretch in February 2012, Lin becomes the face of the Brooklyn Nets.

“I definitely feel a much stronger responsibility or leadership role that I didn’t in my last two or three teams,” Lin said on Monday at the Nets’ media day. “I feel like for me here, a lot of it’s going to fall on me and Brook [Lopez] setting the tone every day in workouts, even how we live off the court and how we take care of our bodies, eat and sleep.”     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun victorious in Chengdu

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 28, 2016
By: Dave Carroll / Staff reporter, with AFP, WUHAN, China

Lu Yen-hsun advanced to the second round of the ATP Tour’s Chengdu Open yesterday, while fellow Taiwanese Chuang Chia-jung successfully negotiated the first round of the doubles at the WTA Tour’s Wuhan Open.

Taiwanese No. 1 Lu took 75 minutes to oust Czech veteran Radek Stepanek in Chengdu.

The world No. 63 did not face a single break point, while converting two of four to complete a 6-3, 6-4 victory and set up a second-round clash with either fifth seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain or German qualifier Michael Berrer.

Also advancing to the second round was world No. 101 Karen Khachanov of Russia, who stunned Portuguese seventh seed Joao Sousa 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in 77 minutes.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s Chan Shih-chang shoots stunning 62 to seal Japan triumph

The China Post
Date: September 26, 2016
By: AFP

TOKYO — Taiwan’s Chan Shih-chang shot a stunning final-round 62 to win the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup by two strokes on Sunday at Osaka’s Ibaraki Country Club.

The 30-year-old’s flawless eight-under-par round saw him finish on 10-under 270 and take the winner’s check for US$294,204, almost double his entire 2016 Asian Tour earnings of US$149,453 heading into the tournament.

He was off to a blistering start with birdies at three of the first four holes to turn in 32, before five more on the back nine of his bogey-free round saw him climb from 13th place at the start of the day into the winner’s circle.     [FULL  STORY]

Brothers close gap with 16-4 rout of Rhinos

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 25, 2016
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

The Brothers Baseball Club last night beat the EDA Rhinos 16-4 to narrow the CPBL second-half gap,

The EDA Rhinos’ Kao Kuo-hui hits the ball in their game against the Brothers Baseball Club at the Taichung Intercontinental Stadium yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

The EDA Rhinos’ Kao Kuo-hui hits the ball in their game against the Brothers Baseball Club at the Taichung Intercontinental Stadium yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times

with the Rhinos now atop the table with a two-game lead over the Brothers and the Lamigo Monkeys, two weeks before Taiwan’s professional baseball season wraps up for the start of playoffs.

Cranking out 18 hits against four opposition pitchers, the Brothers piled on the runs with red-hot batting to hand the Rhinos their second loss in two days, putting a stop to EDA’s five-game winning streak over the past week.

US right-handed pitcher Bryan Woodall started on the mound for the Brothers at Taichung Intercontinental Stadium for the evening contest. Woodall mowed down EDA hitters to pick up his sixth win of the season, pitching seven innings and yielding only one run, while throwing six strikeouts.

In yesterday’s other game, the Uni-President Lions edged the Lamigo Monkeys 6-5 in 10 innings in Tainan.     [FULL  STORY]

Yaki Yen quits national soccer squad

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 23, 2016
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

Taiwanese-Spanish soccer player Yaki Yen on Wednesday announced his decision to quit Taiwan’s

Taiwanese-Spanish soccer player Yaki Yen, left, is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of YaKi Yen’s Facebook page

Taiwanese-Spanish soccer player Yaki Yen, left, is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of YaKi Yen’s Facebook page

national squad, saying that as long as Satoshi Imai remains the head coach, he will not play in a national uniform.

Yen made the announcement on his Facebook page and expressed disappointment that he was not picked to represent Taiwan in the upcoming East Asia Cup qualifiers, where Taiwan is scheduled to face East Timor in two games early next month.

“I love Taiwan, and really want to play for the national squad, but the coaching staff are opinionated against me,” he said. “I want to inform the public that I will not play for the national squad as long as this unprofessional Japanese head coach is on the job.”

“I want to say sorry to the fans, that I could not contribute to Team Taiwan this time,” he added.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwanese table tennis player ties knot with Japanese counterpart

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/09/21
By: Yang Ming-chu, Lee Yu-cheng and Lilian Wu

Tokyo, Sept. 21 (CNA) Table tennis player Chiang Hung-chieh (江宏傑), a member of Taiwan’s national 201609210023t0001team, and popular Japanese table tennis player Ai Fukuhara (福原愛) formally announced their marriage Wednesday.

At a news conference in Tokyo, Fukuhara, dressed in a graceful kimono, was the first to appear, saying that she and Chiang had registered their marriage in Tokyo Sept. 1 and planned to also register it in Taiwan at a later date.

Chiang, tall, handsome and wearing a suit, immediately became the focus of the limelight.

Fukuhara said she loved Chiang because he always listens to her, no matter how trivial the subject matter, while Chiang said that Fukuhara makes him feel “warm and steady.”

The newlyweds also showed off their wedding rings, which have a table tennis motif and were designed by Chiang himself.     [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan table tennis player ties knot with Ai Fukuhara

The China Post
Date: September 22, 2016
By: CNA

TOKYO — Table tennis player Chiang Hung-chieh, a member of Taiwan’s national team, and popular Japanese table tennis player Ai Fukuhara formally announced their marriage Wednesday.

At a news conference in Tokyo, Fukuhara, dressed in a graceful kimono, was the first to appear, saying that she and Chiang had registered their marriage in Tokyo Sept. 1 and planned to also register it in Taiwan at a later date.

Chiang, tall, handsome and wearing a suit, immediately became the focus of the limelight.

Fukuhara said she loved Chiang because he always listens to her, no matter how trivial the subject matter, while Chiang said that Fukuhara makes him feel “warm and steady.”     [FULL  STORY]

Chan sisters crash out in Tokyo

Taipei Times
Date: Sep 21, 2016
By: Dave Carroll / Staff reporter

The Chan sisters’ bid to cement a spot at the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore got off to the worst possible start in Tokyo yesterday when they crashed out of the first round of the doubles at the Pan Pacific Open.

Top seeds Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan, sixth in the WTA Tour’s Road to Singapore rankings, fell to a 1-6, 6-4, 10-5 comeback victory by Chinese duo Liang Chen and Yang Zhaoxuan in 69 minutes.

The Taiwanese duo saved two of five break points and converted five of nine, winning 55 of the 108 points contested, but it was not the result the sisters were looking for a day after Hao-ching celebrated her 23rd birthday.

The Chans are 870 points ahead of ninth-ranked Chinese duo Xu Yifan and Zheng Saisai in the rankings, with the top eight pairings qualifying for the season-ending championships from Oct. 23 to Oct. 30.     [FULL  STORY]

Leading female golfers to compete in Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship

The China Post
Date: September 20, 2016
By: The China Post news staff

TAIPEI, Taiwan –This year’s Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship, Taiwan’s only golf tournament

Former Vice President Vincent Siew, third right, and dignitaries pose for a photo at the pre-event press conference for the 2016 Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship in Taipei on Monday, Sept. 19.(Photo courtesy of Fubon)

Former Vice President Vincent Siew, third right, and dignitaries pose for a photo at the pre-event press conference for the 2016 Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship in Taipei on Monday, Sept. 19.(Photo courtesy of Fubon)

officially sanctioned by the U.S. LPGA and supported by Fubon Financial Holdings as the title sponsored for the third year, is scheduled to tee off from Oct. 6 to Oct. 9 at the Miramar Golf Country Club in New Taipei City, according to the company.

Organizers Fubon Sports & Entertainment and TLPGA today unveiled the star-studded field for the first time in a press conference.

As of Sep. 9, at least 14 of the top 20 players on the world money list are expected to compete for a total purse of US$2 million and the championship trophy, said the company.

The field will consist of 81 players in total, including 62 eligible players from the LPGA, 15 players from the TLPGA and four title-sponsor invites. Among them, Rio Olympics Women’s Golf silver medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand, winner of the 2015 Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship, will return to Taiwan to defend her title. Olympic bronze medalist, China’ s Ace Shanshan Feng has been on a roll lately, and is undoubtedly one of the hottest contenders this year, the company stated.     [FULL  STORY]

Teresa Lu wins Japan LGPA tournament

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/09/18
By: Lee Yu-cheng and Kuo Chung-han

Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) Teresa Lu (盧曉晴) of Taiwan won the Munsingwear Ladies Tokai Classic 2016

Teresa Lu (file photo)

Teresa Lu (file photo)

Tournament Sunday, taking her second title in the LPGA of Japan Tour with a three-round total of 198.

Lu fired a two-under 70 during the final round Sunday to tie with Mi-Jeong Jeon of South Korea and won the title with a birdie in the playoff.

Taiwan’s Phoebe Yao (姚宣榆) tied for 4th with a total of 204 and Tsai Pei-ying (蔡佩穎) tied for the 54th with a total of 217 in the tournament at the Shinminami Aichi Country Club Mihama Course in Mihama, Aichi Prefecture.

The win marked Lu’s 11th career victory in Japan.

Lu’s career best came in 2014, when she won three championships — the Resort Trust Gold Tournament, the Japan Women’s Open Golf Championship and the Japan LPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup.     [FULL  STORY]