Taipei Times
Date: May 15, 2020
By: Dave Carroll / Staff reporter

Taiwan international soccer player Emilio Estevez has signed for Dutch side ADO Den Haag for an undisclosed fee, his side York9 announced on Tuesday, making the 21-year-old midfielder the first Canadian Premier League (CPL) player to sign for a top-flight European side.

“I’m super happy. It’s something that I wasn’t expecting, to be honest,” Estevez told the CPL Web site. “It’s something that really caught me off-guard, but it feels good to be able to make a little bit of history and leave my mark in the CPL, and show players that anything is possible — that if you work hard and put your mind to it that you can attract big teams in Europe.”

Estevez, eligible for Taiwan through his mother, was first called up to the international squad in February last year.

He made his international debut in October last year in a 7-1 loss to Australia in FIFA World Cup qualifying, before earning two more caps against Kuwait and Jordan.   [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: May 12, 2020
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

Tatung and Hang Yuan each picked up a point on Sunday after a 2-2 draw in the fifth round of Taiwan Football Premier League matches, while Taiwan Steel netted four in a robust display of their firepower.

With first-placed Taipower being held to a scoreless draw the title race is wide open, with four teams within four points of the league leaders.

Taiwan international Chen Jui-chieh scored a brace as Tatung grabbed a 2-1 lead against Hang Yuan at Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City, but attacking midfielder Wu Yen-shu equalized in the 60th minute to claim a share of the points for Hang Yuan.

Hang Yuan went ahead in the 17th minute when a cross from the right was volleyed into the roof of the net by former Haiti international Judelin Aveska.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: May 12, 2020
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter

Tatung and Hang Yuan each picked up a point on Sunday after a 2-2 draw in the fifth round of Taiwan Football Premier League matches, while Taiwan Steel netted four in a robust display of their firepower.

With first-placed Taipower being held to a scoreless draw the title race is wide open, with four teams within four points of the league leaders.

Taiwan international Chen Jui-chieh scored a brace as Tatung grabbed a 2-1 lead against Hang Yuan at Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City, but attacking midfielder Wu Yen-shu equalized in the 60th minute to claim a share of the points for Hang Yuan.

Hang Yuan went ahead in the 17th minute when a cross from the right was volleyed into the roof of the net by former Haiti international Judelin Aveska.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan CPBL ponders ways to prevent being mistaken for China's baseball league

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/05/10
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) said Saturday (May 9) that it received advice from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) on ways to prevent being mistaken for a Chinese professional baseball league.

After becoming the first in the world to allow spectators into its stadiums, the CPBL has entered the global spotlight for its quick and successful pandemic prevention measures. However, due to having the word "Chinese" in its name, the CPBL has also created confusion for foreign media and spectators as to where the five-team league is based.

According to Liberty Times, several international media outlets have erroneously referred to the CPBL as a baseball league in China, such as the Los Angeles Times and Barstool Sports. As a result, many Taiwanese lawmakers, including those of the New Power Party (NPP), have urged the Taiwanese league to heed public opinion and change its name.

In an official statement released Saturday evening, the CPBL said its commissioner John Wu (吳志揚) had recently met with AIT Director William Christensen (酈英傑) to exchange ideas on how to increase the league's exposure. It said Christensen was very impressed with the number of foreign spectators the league's English-language broadcasts have attracted and hoped that the program would continue.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/08/2020
Date: By Kay Liu

After nearly a month of games played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League greeted its first fans allowed back into the stadiums for the first time in two games played May 8.

A day earlier, Taiwan's armed forces opened a game in Taoyuan to mark the last game closed to fans, with a parade of soldiers in the stadium.

Some of the soldiers carried a giant national flag, while several chemical corp. soldiers sang the national anthem.

Taoyuan's home team, the Rakuten Monkeys, continued to place cardboard cutouts and mannequins in the empty stadiums, along with a band of drumming robots.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: May 11, 2020
By: Grant Dexter / Staff reporter

The Taiwan Dragons yesterday entered the semi-finals of the Taipei T10 Cricket Tournament with two wins at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground before a thunderstorm halted play.

The Dragons downed the Hsinchu Titans in a low-scoring and contentious encounter before rolling over the Taiwan Daredevils.

Earlier yesterday, the Taipei City Government endorsed the tournament, with spokesman Chen Kuan-ting visiting in the morning as the temperature soared.

Chen said that Taipei’s progress amid the COVID-19 pandemic “is being recognized globally — and today’s event is proof of our strength and success.”    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/08/2020
By: Kay Liu

After nearly a month of games played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League greeted its first fans allowed back into the stadiums for the first time in two games played May 8.

Some of the soldiers carried a giant national flag, while several chemical corp. soldiers sang the national anthem.

Taoyuan's home team, the Rakuten Monkeys, continued to place cardboard cutouts and mannequins in the empty stadiums, along with a band of drumming robots.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: May 09, 2020
By: Staff writer, with CNA

The second stage of the inaugural Taipei T10 cricket tournament starts today in the capital, with livestream English commentary for viewers around the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The TCA Indians and FCC Formosans topped their groups in the first stage, which gave them direct entry to the semi-finals, which are to be played next week.

The playoffs today are to begin with the ICCT Smashers, the Chiayi Swingers and PCCT United competing in Pool 1, while the Taiwan Dragons, the Hsinchu Titans and the Taiwan Daredevils are in Pool 2 tomorrow.

The matches are at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Songshan District, with the first match of three starting at 11:30am each day.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan’s CPBL to become world’s first baseball league to allow fans in since coronavirus outbreak

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/05/06
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan professional baseball (CPBL) will become the first majors in the world to bring fans back into the stadium on Friday (May 8), after the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) confirmed a maximum of 1,000 fans will be allowed at each game.

After being the first baseball league to open its 2020 season worldwide, the CPBL has sought approval from the CECC to allow spectators back into the seats. Since the season began on April 12, the teams have been playing behind closed-doors with cardboard cut-outs and dummies standing in for the crowd.

The games have also been broadcast live in English and have attracted a lot of international attention. Media outlets, including the New York Times and Reuters, have praised the Taiwanese sports league for its pandemic prevention measures as well as the country's overall success in containing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

During a daily press conference on Wednesday, Health Minister and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced that 1,000 spectators each will be allowed to enjoy Friday's games in person at the Xinzhuang Stadium in New Taipei City and the Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taichung. Chen said fans must have their temperatures taken, wear face masks and maintain 1.5 meters of social distancing, reported Yahoo News.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 05/06/2020
By: Yang Chi-fang, Yeh Su-ping and Joseph Yeh

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) Taiwan's professional baseball league, which has played in empty stadiums since the beginning of the season, will open its games to 1,000 fans starting Friday, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Wednesday.

CECC chief Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said the CECC approved the Chinese Professional Baseball League's (CPBL's) proposal to admit up to 1,000 fans as part of measures it is taking to relax social distancing restrictions as the number of COVID-19 cases dwindles.

CPBL Secretary-General Feng Sheng-xian (馮勝賢) thanked the CECC for its decision and said the league has prepared detailed epidemic prevention measures for fan attendance at games.

Feng said the presence of fans will be a major morale boost for the CPBL, which has played more than 20 games without fans since its first game of the season at Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium on April 12.    [FULL  STORY]