The ROC government demanded an apology Nov. 19 from the Asian Taekwondo Union for what it called a false accusation of cheating against Taiwanese athlete Yang Shu-chun at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, mainland China.
The government called on the ATU to admit its mistake, provide an explanation for its unfair ruling and compensation for Yang. It also questioned the union over discrepancies in its reasons for disqualifying the athlete.
“The ATU claimed that two extra sensors were found on Yang’s heels 45 seconds into the match, but the truth is they were removed before the match began,” a government statement read.
The ATU published a news release Nov. 18 on its website accusing the Taiwanese team of cheating.
"Such a false accusation, publicized before the ATU had agreed to reinvestigate the incident, has caused irreparable harm to Taiwanese athletes,” the government statement said.
The government's response followed an international news conference Nov. 19 in Taipei City during which journalists were shown footage of Yang removing the sensors prior to the match.
ROC Vice Premier Sean Chen said the video speaks for itself, branding the ATU’s accusation "hasty and irrational."
According to Chen, neither the athlete nor other members of the Taiwanese delegation were asked to take part in the ATU technical meeting held after Taiwan’s protest against the disqualification. “The Chinese Taipei Taekwondo Association was simply informed of the decision after the meeting," he said.
The vice premier said the government is considering its options and may file a complaint with the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport. (ML-JSM)
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