Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/08
By: Christie Chen

Taipei, March 8 (CNA) The Taiwanese chief of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) said Tuesday that the scheduled opening of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics to professional boxers could significantly boost attendance at Olympic boxing matches.

Since the AIBA revised its constitution at an extraordinary congress June 1, professional boxers will be able to compete in the Olympics if they are selected by their national federations and earn their places through qualifying tournaments, AIBA President Wu Ching-kuo (吳經國) told reporters in Taipei.

Wu, who is also Taiwan’s sole member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), called the opening a “significant decision” as boxing is one of the last remaining Olympic sports still restricted to amateurs.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/08
By: Lee Chin-wei and Romulo Huang

Taipei, March 8 (CNA) Dutch cyclist Peter Schulting won the third stage of the

Tour de Taiwan held in Taoyuan Tuesday and clinched the polka-dot jersey for the best climber with a cumulative total of 35 points obtained in the first three stages of the five-stage race.

Schulting, a member of the Parkhotel Valkenburg Continental Team, completed the 118.84-kilometer route that passed through some of the most attractive tourist destinations in the northern Taiwan city, including the Shihmen Resevoir and other attractions in Xinwu, Guanyin and Longtan, in a time of two hours, 44 minutes and 43 seconds.

Meanwhile, Ben O’Connor of the Avanti Iso Whey Sports team of Australia, who crossed the finish line of the third stage in a time of 2 hours 45 minutes and 16 seconds, took control of the yellow jersey and was awarded the white jersey for the best cyclist aged under 23.

Carlos Alzate from the United Healthcare Pro Cycling team of the United States received the green jersey for the best sprinter, with a cumulative total of 30 points, and Japan’s Yuma Koishi, a member of the NIPPO-Vini Fantini team of Italy, was awarded the blue jersey for the Asian leader.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/07
By: Lee Chin-wei, Kay Liu and Evelyn Ka

Taipei, March 7 (CNA) Stepan Astafyev from Kazakhstan ran away from the field in the second stage of the Tour de Taiwan road race in New Taipei on Monday to take control of the yellow jersey.

The 22-year-old Astafyev, a member of the VINO 4-Ever SKO cycling team, completed the 116.37-kilometer stage along the northern coast of Taiwan in a time of two hours, 47 minutes and 59 seconds, 2 minutes and 26 seconds ahead of a pack of 67 riders.

That left Astayev with an overall lead of 1:32 over Carlos Alzate of Colombia with three stages of the five-stage race left.

Another nine riders were within two minutes of the leader in the overall standings.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/06
By: Lee Chin-wei and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, March 6 (CNA) Teresa Lu (盧曉晴) of Taiwan won the Daikin Orchid Ladies Golf

Tournament Sunday, successfully defending her title in the opening event of the LPGA of Japan Tour with a four-round total of 280.

Lu fired a four-under 68 during the final round Sunday to win the tournament, which marked her 10th career victory in Japan and earned her 21.6 million yen (US$190,000) in prize money.

Japan’s Ritsuko Ryu finished as runner-up, while Taiwan’s Tsai Pei-ying (蔡佩穎) ended with a four-round total of 292 and Liu Yi-chen (劉依貞), also from Taiwan, finished with a total of 296.

The victory also made Lu the first winner since the tournament has been extended from this year from three to four days following the policy of strengthening the LPGA Tour.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/06
By: Huang Tzu-chiang and Evelyn Kao

Singapore, March 6 (CNA) Taiwan’s Candie Kung (龔怡萍) finished tied for fourth place Sunday in the HSBC Women’s Champions 2016, with a four-round total of 278.

South Korea’s Ha Na Jang won the tournament with a total of 269.

Kung fired five birdies along with two bogeys during the fourth round for a 69.

Meanwhile, former world No. 1, Yani Tseng (曾雅妮), also from Taiwan, carded four birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys for a 74 in the fourth round to finish in 61st place with a total of 300.

The fourth place tie is Kung’s best performance of the season, and is expected to bring her world ranking up from 41st to above 39th-ranked Tseng and to lag behind only Teresa Lu (盧曉晴), who is ranked 20th, among Taiwan’s professional women golfers.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/06
By: Lee Chin-wei and Kay Liu

Taipei, March 6 (CNA) Australian cyclist William Clarke was the first to cross the finish line

of the starting stage of the Tour de Taiwan road race in Taipei Sunday.

Clarke, 31, from the Drapac Professional Cycling team, finished the eight laps along Taipei’s Renai Road, totaling 83.2 kilometers, on the first stage of the five-day race, with a time of 1:40:34.

Meanwhile, 33-year-old Colombian Carlos Eduardo Alzate Escobar, from the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, took both the yellow and green jerseys for lowest overall time after point deductions, and for best sprinter of the stage, respectively.

Japan’s Yuma Koishi, who finished three seconds behind, was awarded the blue jersey as the Asian leader, while 21-year-old Ben Alexander O’Connor of Australia received the white jersey for clocking the fastest time among cyclists aged below 23.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/06
By: Kuay Chau-churh and S.C. Chang

Kuala Lumpur, March 6 (CNA) Woman athletes from Taiwan and North Korea shared the

third place in the 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday.

Taiwan had to settle for a bronze after being beaten by China three to nil a day earlier in the semifinals. It was Taiwan’s best performance in 16 years, after it snatched a silver medal in 2000.

China led in the top-level division rankings, followed by Japan. Behind Taiwan and North Korea were the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Singapore and Germany, which shared the fifth place.

China also dominated men’s competitions, with Japan earning the silver medal, followed by South Korea and England who shared the bronze.     [FULL  STORY]

Tipei Times
Date: Mar 07, 2016
By: Dave Carroll / Staff reporter

Taiwan yesterday advanced to the second round of Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group II after

completing a convincing 4-1 victory over Malaysia in Kaohsiung.

With the hosts leading 2-1 after the first two days’ play, Huang Liang-chi ensured Taiwan would advance to the second round by cruising to a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Malaysia’s Mohd Merzuki in just 72 minutes in the first reverse singles rubber at Kaohsiung’s Yang-Ming Tennis Center.

The Taiwanese saved both break points he faced and converted six of 14, winning 89 of the 144 points contested to hand his side an unassailable 3-1 in the first-round tie.

In the dead second reverse singles rubber, which was reduced to the best of three sets, Taiwan’s Hung Jui-chen defeated Hao Koay 7-5, 6-1 in 63 minutes.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/05
By: Lee Yu-cheng and Romulo Huang

Taipei, March 5 (CNA) Taiwan’s Su Szu-ping (蘇思蘋) won the world indoor archery junior

women’s title Saturday at the 2016 World Archery Indoor Championships being held in Ankara, Turkey, defeating the defending chamion, Italy’s Tatiana Andreoli, in a sudden-death tiebreaker in the final.

Top seed Andreoli won the first set with a perfect 30, then Su took the second.

The pattern repeated for a second time and with the set score at 4-4, both archers posted a 10-10-9 with their closing three shots to send the match into a sudden-death decider.

Andreoli, with her title on the line, shot and scored nine points with her one arrow. Szu-Ping put down a 10

“I’m very young and this is my first international competition ever. I was very nervous but I tried to control my mind,” the 13-year-old newly crowned world recurve junior women’s champion said after winning the title.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2016/03/05
By: Huang Tzu-chiang, Romulo Huang and Lilian Wu

Singapore, March 5 (CNA) Taiwan’s Candie Kung (龔怡萍) carded a 2-under 70 Saturday

to share 11th place with Minjee Lee of Australia in the third round of the HSBC Women’s Champions 2016 currently being held in Singapore.

The Taiwanese LPGA veteran had six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey to record a 7-under 209 after three rounds.

Another Taiwanese player, former world No. 1 Yani Tseng, (曾雅妮), had a one-over 73. She shot four birdies, and one eagle, but had seven bogeys. She carded a 10-over 226 after three rounds to place 62nd.     [FULL  STORY]