Taipei, March 15 (CNA) The government and the National Baseball Federation should review and implement a total reform in order to save Taiwanese baseball's fall from grace, a group of baseball fans and two legislators said Wednesday.
"Taiwanese baseball used to be on a par with Korean baseball. Now Korea beat Japan and the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and made the semifinal, and what about us? " said Tsai Tse-jen, a baseball fan and organizer of the "Saving National Sport Action Alliance."
Taiwan's national baseball team failed to advance to the second round of the WBC after losing to Japan and Korea in the preliminary round earlier this month. In recent years, Taiwan's performance in major tournaments has generally declined.
The alliance announced "five complaints and five demands" after collecting opinions on the Internet from more than 100 fans. Among the complaints, 92% of the fans polled said the government and the baseball federation are all talk and no action.
They also said Taiwanese baseball lacks resources, development, vision and policy and they demanded more community ballparks, budget, international exchanges and employment protection for baseball players.
Legislator Tsai Chin-lung urged the National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (NCPFS) , Taiwan's highest administrative body of sports, to increase subsidies to baseball organizations, which have been declining in recent years.
Huang Chih-hsiung, an athlete-turned-legislator, said legislation for the employment of professional coaches would be a good starting point for baseball development, as well as getting more people involved in the game.