Stabilize the development of professional baseball in Taiwan and establish a solid foundation for the game’s long-term sustainability on the island.
Encourage government agencies and private businesses to form adult amateur teams. At least 10 new sides will be set up throughout the country. So far, the governments of Taipei City, Taipei County, Taoyuan County and Taichung City have moved to establish teams and are in the process of recruiting local players.
Promote baseball nationwide at all levels in the country’s schools. The SAC will work with the Ministry of Education to encourage the formation of baseball teams through the provision of wide-ranging incentives.
Establish a mechanism for selecting and training Taiwan’s national teams. Conducted in cooperation with the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association and the Chinese Professional Baseball League, representative sides will be selected according to the importance of tournaments. A combination of the island’s first-tier, second-tier and amateur baseball players will be used.
Sponsor an annual baseball-revival conference and a winter tournament. Esteemed coaches will be invited from abroad to help train Taiwan’s national teams at the conference, while the winter tourney will match teams from across the country against those from Japan and South Korea.
By completion of the plan in 2013, the SAC expects Taiwan’s national teams to finish at least third in all Asian and world baseball championship games, as well as reach the semifinals of each year’s World Baseball Classic tournament.
Write to Meg Chang at meg.chang@mail.gio.gov.tw