Sports

Taiwan’s Tai wins BWF World Superseries title again (update)

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/12/18
By: Lee Yu-cheng, Kuo Chung-han and Ko Lin

Taipei, Dec. 18 (CNA) World No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) of Taiwan on Sunday

Photo courtesy of Badminton photo

defeated South Korean Sung Ji-hyun 21-14 and 21-13 to win the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) Dubai World Superseries women’s singles title, which she had won in 2014.

Eight contenders from seven countries participated in the women’s singles competition at the Dubai World Superseries Finals, including Akane Yamaguchi of Japan and Sun Yu of China.

Asked of her feeling about her second winning of the world series, Tai said she had an enjoyable experience playing in Dubai two years ago and that winning her second title today makes it even more memorable.    [FULL  STORY]

Hsieh wins ITF women’s singles title, loses in doubles final

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/12/17
By: Lee Chin-wei and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Dec. 17 (CNA) Hsieh Su-wei (謝淑薇) of Taiwan beat Russia’s Natalia

CNA file photo

Vikhlyantseva in straight sets Saturday to win the women’s singles title in an International Tennis Federation event in Dubai but fell short in the doubles final later in the day.

Hsieh, ranked 108th in the world, defeated the 148th-ranked Vikhlyantseva 6-2, 6-2 for her first tournament title in 14 months.

Later in the day, Hsieh and Russian Valeria Savinykh fell to Mandy Minella of Luxembourg and Nina Stojanovic of Serbia, losing the super tiebreaker 10-4 after splitting the first two sets.   [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan world No. 1 Tai advances to Dubai final

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 18, 2016
By: Jason Pan / Staff reporter, with CNA

Taiwanese badminton world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying overcame a major hurdle when she

Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying reacts during her game against Sun Yu of China at the Dubai World Superseries badminton tournament in the United Arab Emirates yesterday. Photo provided by BadmintonPhoto.com

defeated China’s Sun Yu in straight sets at the Dubai World Superseries Finals yesterday.

Tai won 21-19, 21-19 in the semi-finals of the Badminton World Federation event.

Tai consolidated her world No. 1 ranking in women’s singles and took her game to a higher level with her first victory against Sun, who is China’s top player.

It was sweet revenge for Tai, who has lost four times to Sun in past competitions, while points she accumulated for the win will ensure the Kaohsiung native retains her No. 1 status through to the end of the year.   [FULL  STORY]

Yoh to join Yomiuri Giants, team president confirms

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/12/15
By: Lin Hung-han and Ko Lin

Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) Free agent outfielder Yoh Daikan (陽岱鋼) confirmed to the media on Thursday morning that he will be joining the Yomiuri Giants in the Nippon Professional Baseball next season.

“I never knew I could be part of the Giants one day. I want to thank the team for their trust in me,” Yoh said to reporters in Taipei.

According to speculation in the Japanese media, he will sign a five-year deal with the Giants worth 1.5 billion yen (US$12.74 million).

Asked to confirm the deal, Yoh said it is up to the team to make an official announcement once the contract is finalized.    [FULL  STORY]

Tai reaches semifinals at BWF World Superseries Finals

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/12/15
By: Li Chin-wei and Ko Lin

Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) Taiwanese world No. 1 Tai Tzu-ying (戴資穎) on Thursday breezed through her Group A match to reach the semifinals at the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) Dubai World Superseries Finals, beating Ratchanok Intanon from Thailand in two straight sets, 21-12 and 21-14 in 32 minutes.

The 2016 BWF Superseries Finals is being held from December 14-18 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where the world’s top badminton players are competing for total prize money of US$1 million.

Tai cruised through the first set with relative ease, controlling the tempo of the game throughout.

Despite rallying in the second, Intanon was unable to break Tai’s rhythm and she eventually pulled away in the second half of the set.    [FULL  STORY]

‘You’re the ping to my pong’

The China Post
Date: December 14, 2016
By: CNA

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Japanese table tennis star Ai Fukuhara, right, and Taiwanese table tennis player Chiang Hung-chieh (江宏傑), left, pose in this wedding photo, which was released on Tuesday, Dec. 13. According to their public relations representative, STARFiSH Concept International Co., the couple will hold their wedding banquet on Jan. 1 at Regent Taipei.   [SOURCE]

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Taiwan’s Liao wins ITTF World Tour U21 men’s singles

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/12/11
By: Lin Hun-han and S.C. Chang

Taipei, Dec. 11 (CNA) Taiwanese table tennis player Liao Cheng-ting (廖振珽) beat Japan’s Yuto

Photo courtesy of QTTA.

Muramatsu 4-0 to win the U21 men’s singles title in the 2016 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals held in Doha, Qatar Sunday.

The world’s 28th-ranked Liao triumphed over the 3rd-ranked Muramatsu throughout the game, defeating him 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 and 11-8 to earn US$10,000 in cash prize. Muramatsu was a silver medal winner in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing.

This was the second time a Taiwanese junior player has won U21 men’s singles championship since 2005, when the International Table Tennis Federation added the U21 event to its list of annual competitions. Chiang Hung-chieh (江宏傑) earned that title in 2008.

In 2014, Taiwan’s Chen Szu-yu (陳思羽) snatched women’s singles title in the U21 event.     [FULL  STORY]

Yang Dai-kang to sign four-year one billion yen deal with Japanese team: report

The China Post
Date: December 7, 2016
By: Joseph Yeh

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese baseball player Yang Dai-kang (陽岱鋼) has agreed to sign with the

An undated file photo of Taiwanese baseball player Yang Dai-kang (陽岱鋼). (Joseph Yeh, The China Post)

Yomiuri Giants, under a four-year one billion yen deal, according to Japanese media report on Wednesday.

The deal, equivalent to NT$280 million, is expected to be officially announced in two days after contract details are finalized, Japanese daily sports newspaper Nikkan Sports reported.

Asked to confirm the deal, Yang’s agent said he had no comment on the matter and would make an official announcement once the player’s contract with a future team is finalized.

The Yomiuri Giants, dubbed “the Yankees of Japan,” often offer million dollar contracts to players that are unmatchable by rival Nippon Professional Baseball clubs.

If realized, Yang will be the Tokyo-based team’s third free agent signed during the offseason in which the Giants have spent an astronomical 2.1 billion yen in total.

The offer for Yang was reportedly greater than one previously made by the Orix Buffaloes.

Twenty-nine year-old Yang was a Nippon Ham Fighters outfielder for 11 years before he declared himself a free agent last month. The Fighters won this year’s Japan Series title, the third in the franchise’s history.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwanese female MMA fighter wins via submission in Manila match

Taiwan News
Date: 2016/12/05
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taiwanese female mixed martial artist Jenny Huang stayed undefeated with an impressive gogoplata

The photo shows Jenny Huang (right) is struggling with her Filipino opponent April Osenio. (Photo courtesy of One Championship)

The photo shows Jenny Huang (right) is struggling with her Filipino opponent April Osenio. (Photo courtesy of One Championship)

submission, also known as a foot choke, in a woman’s atomweight ONE mixed martial arts contest in Manila, Philippines, last Friday.

In the first round, the hometown hero April Osenio dominated her judo black belt opponent Huang with kicks and punches to the body and head. Two left high kicks in particular from Osenio stunned Huang badly. However, Huang recovered enough to score an outside leg trip takedown and landed strikes from inside the active full-guard of Osenio before the end of the round.

The second round began with the two feinting and stalking one another. The Taiwanese mixed martial art pioneer then took Osenio’s back with both hooks in and dominated the rest of the round.    [FULL  STORY]

Kinmen half-marathon kicks off to promote tourism

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/12/04
By: Amy Huang and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Dec. 4 (CNA) A 10-kilometer half marathon was held Sunday in Jinsha township in the 2016120400031offshore island county of Kinmen to help boost tourism, attracting more than 1,000 runners.

Of the 1,028 people who registered to participate in the marathon, 120 came from mainland China, 591 from Taiwan proper, 38 from abroad and 279 were local residents, according to the Kinmen county government and Kinmen Tourism Association, which organized the event.

The half marathon aimed at boosting tourism in Kinmen is the second of its kind after the first one was held on Oct. 7 in Lieyu township, according to the Kinmen Tourism Association.

Each of the half marathon series has been certified by the Chinese Taipei Road Running Association and the courses and the rules of the races as well as the half marathon completion certificates were all devised in line with international standards, according to the tourism association.    [FULL  STORY]