Wang Chien-ming, former Major League Baseball pitcher and current coach for Taiwan’s professional Brothers team, served as a guest coach to Palau’s national baseball team at the National Taiwan University of Sport April 28 in the northern city of Taoyuan.
According to the Ministry of Education, the Palau national squad is in Taiwan in preparation for the 12th Pacific Mini Games set to take place this June in the allied nation. The arrangement was made through Cheng Shih-Chung, MOE Sports Administration director-general
During his trip to the ally this January as part of the Taiwan delegation to the inauguration of President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr., Cheng signed a letter of intent on bilateral baseball cooperation with Frank Kyota, president of the Palau National Olympic Committee.
The training follows the pledge by President Lai Ching-te during his state visit to the Pacific ally last November to help train the Palau national baseball team and promote bilateral sports exchanges, the MOE said, adding that it marks a milestone in Taiwan’s sports diplomacy initiative.
Wang thanked the MOE for the invitation and said it was an honor to be part of the training program. He spoke positively of the Palau team and said he focused on ball grip and pitching movements, as well as demonstrating the fastball pitches with hard downward or strong arm-side movement, known as sinkers, which were his signature pitch in MLB.
The Palau team’s assistant coach Hubert Takeshi Rafael thanked Wang for sharing his insights, while pitcher Ray Rdialul Rumong said Wang was very detailed in his coaching, and that the session really helped the team gain better control of the ball. (SFC-E)
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