Four Taiwanese players took part in the game

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/01/06
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s representative in Sydney on Friday threw the

ceremonial first pitch at the Australian Baseball League (ABL) game of the Sydney Blue Sox against the Brisbane Bandits in a rare example of sports diplomacy.

Taiwan and Australia do not maintain official diplomatic relations, as Canberra has recognized China, which tries as much as possible to prevent Taiwan from expanding its international contacts.

In addition to Taiwanese representative Constance Wang (王雪虹) serving as the guest of honor, four Taiwanese players were on the field at the event, the Central News Agency reported.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/01/06
By: Li Chin-wei and Ko Lin

Taipei, Jan. 6 (CNA) Chen Wei-li (陳瑋利), one of Taiwan’s young rising star golfers,

carded 4-over-76 in the final round of the Junior Golf Tour of Asia’s (JGTA) Taiwan Junior Championship on Friday, finishing second in the male division with a tournament total of 220.

Chen also received the JGTA’s “Heart of a Champion” award, which will allow him to go the United States this year to compete against some of the best junior golfers in the world.

According to the JGTA, the “Heart of a Champion” award is given to a player who stands out both on and off the golf course in terms of character, attitude and passion.
[FULL  STORY]

HIGH-PROFILE EXITS: Britain’s Johanna Konta retired from her quarter-final with a hip injury, while compatriot Andy Murray withdrew before a second-round match

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 05, 2018
By: Dave Carroll  /  Staff reporter, with AFP, BRISBANE, Australia

Taiwan’s Latisha Chan yesterday kept her bid for a first title of the season on track as she

battled into the semi-finals of the doubles at the Brisbane International, while Elina Svitolina advanced to the semi-finals of the singles when Johanna Konta retired with a hip problem in the third set of their quarter-final.

Top seeds Chan, who previously played on the WTA Tour using her Chinese name Chan Yung-jan, and Czech partner Andrea Sestini Hlavackova took 1 hour, 43 minutes to see of the challenge of Nadiia Kichenok of Ukraine and Anastasia Rodionova of Australia 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/2).

The world No. 1 and world No. 5 saved five of nine break points and converted four of eight, winning 80 of the 156 points contested to advance to a tough looking semi-final against fourth seeds Andreja Klepac of Slovenia and Spain’s Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.    [FULL  STORY]

REVENGE? Latisha Chan and Andrea Sestini Hlavackova next face Nadiia Kichenok and Anastasia Rodionova, who knocked out Chan Hao-ching and Katarina Srebotnik

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 03, 2018
By: Dave Carroll  /  Staff reporter,with AP, BRISBANE, Australia

Taiwan’s Latisha Chan yesterday picked up where she left off at the end of last season as

she cruised into the quarter-finals at the Brisbane International, but it was not an encouraging start to the season for younger sister Chan Hao-ching.

Top seeds Latisha Chan, who had previously played on the WTA Tour using her Chinese name, Chan Yung-jan, and new partner Andrea Sestini Hlavackova took just 58 minutes to defeat Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands and Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia 6-3, 6-0 in their season opener.

The Taiwanese world No. 1 and Czech world No. 5 saved three of four break points and converted six of nine, winning 53 of the 87 points contested to advance to a quarter-final against Nadiia Kichenok and Anastasia Rodionova, after the Ukrainian-Australian pairing rallied from a set down to oust Chan Hao-ching and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 10-6 in 1 hour, 32 minutes.

In the singles, Andy Murray’s long-term hip injury forced him out of the tournament, cast serious doubt over his participation in the Australian Open and had him contemplating surgery.    [FULL  STORY]

A NEW PARTNERSHIP: Following Martina Hingis’ retirement at the end of last season, Latisha Chan is teaming up with Czech Andrea Sestini Hlavackova

Taipei Times
Date: Jan 02, 2018
By: Dave Carroll  /  Staff reporter, with AP, BRISBANE, Australia

Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei celebrated New Year’s Day by taking just 68 minutes to advance to

the second round of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, while there were also victories for Petra Martic, Kirsten Flipkens and Julia Goerges.

World No. 83 Hsieh, making her first appearance in Auckland since she competed in qualifying 11 years ago, cruised to a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Japanese world No. 97 Nao Hibino in just 68 minutes.

Hsieh saved six of seven break points and converted five of 10 to avenge a 6-1, 1-6, 7-5 defeat in their only previous meeting in Tokyo in 2015.

Hsieh next faces either sixth seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan or Belgian qualifier Ysaline Bonaventure in the second round.    [FULL  STORY]

Asia’s first singer invited to play in NHL

Taiwan News 
Date: 2017/12/28
By: Mabel Neo, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI(Taiwan News)- Taiwanese band 5566’s team member Jason Hsu (許孟哲) was

invited by the National Hockey League(NHL) for the 2018 NHL Winter Classic in New York on Jan 1, 2018.

The National Hockey League is a professional ice hockey league in North America, currently comprising 31 teams: 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada.

According to ETToday, Hsu said that he is looking forward to meeting New York Rangers’ team captain Mats Zuccarello and goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist. Hsu also mentioned that he has always desired to watch the NHL games live, as such this invitation came as a great surprise.     [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2017/12/27
By: Lee Chin-wei and Kuan-lin Liu

Taipei, Dec. 27 (CNA) Track and field athlete Cheng Chao-tsun (鄭兆村) and weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun (郭婞淳) received the 2017 Taiwan Sports Elite Awards for best male and female athlete, respectively, at an award ceremony in Taipei Wednesday.

The two athletes both shone bright at the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade, winning gold medals for Taiwan in their respective sports of men’s javelin and women’s weightlifting 58 kilogram category.

With his winning throw of 91.36 meters, Cheng broke both the Asian and universiade records for men’s javelin.

During the universiade, Kuo also broke records with her performance, breaking a 10-year world record in women’s clean-and-jerk with a lift of 142kg.    [FULL  STORY]

Taiwan News  
Date: 2017/12/25
By: Taiwan Today,Agencies

Lu Chia-hung won the men’s singles tournament at the Badminton World Federation Yonex / K&D Graphics International Challenge Dec. 23 in California, becoming the third Taiwan athlete to secure an individual title at the event since 2014.

In a hard-fought final, Lu came back from losing the first set to clinch a 14-21, 21-15, 21-16 victory over B. R. Sankeerth of Canada. Listed No. 125 in the BWF world rankings, the 20-year-old native of southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City earned US$1,800 for the win.

According to Lu, the high standard of competition and diverse styles of the opponents he faced throughout the tournament helped hone his skills. He had to dig deep to emerge victorious, he said, adding that the win has given him the confidence to compete at the highest levels of the sport.    [FULL  STORY]