Taiwan Today

A team of young athletes from Taiwan defeated their rivals from the U.S. state of Hawaii 6-2 to clinch the 2016 Big League Baseball World Series Championships Aug. 3 in Easley, South Carolina, 20 years since the national team last took home the title. The Taiwan team, competing under the name Chinese Taipei, was composed of students from northern Taiwan’s Taoyuan County, with the majority attending Ping-jen Senior High School. Pitcher Chu Yi-sheng gave a strong performance, completing seven innings and giving up only two runs off three hits. The team’s win was secured in the top of the seventh inning when Chiang Kun-yu slammed a solo home run. The victory came following two wins in qualifying games against Puerto Rico. The Taiwan team dominated their opponent in both of the games, winning the first 3-0 and the second 7-0. The players flew back to Taiwan Aug. 4 and were welcomed with a grand reception at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The national team won 17 championships at the Big League Baseball World Series from 1974 to 1996, but withdrew from the competition due to disagreements over changes to the rules. Taiwan reentered the competition in 2013, claiming two third-place finishes and this year’s championship. The Big League Baseball World Series, which began in 1968, is a tournament for players between the ages of 15 and 18. It is one of the nine tournaments sponsored by Little League Baseball. (WF-JG) Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw