Taiwan Today

A Taiwan baseball team defeated their opponents from Puerto Rico 4-0 to claim the 2016 PONY Bronco World Series Aug. 8 in Los Alamitos, California, marking the seventh time Taiwan has won the international competition for 11- and 12-year-olds since it began competing in 1994. Taiwan’s starting pitcher Wang Tien-hsin excelled in the final, keeping the Puerto Rican players scoreless through seven innings. The team sealed the championship when Hu Yao-en hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning. Following the victory, the team’s head coach Yen Meng-chan lauded Wang’s performance. “The most important thing was to let him play his own game. I’m very pleased with the way he performed. The other player who deserves huge credit is Hu Yao-en. He played to his full potential.” Comprised mainly of students from Jhong Jheng Elementary School in the southern city of Kaohsiung, the Taiwan team gained entry to the event after defeating a South Korean team 9-5 in Seoul in July to clinch the Asia Pacific Zone tournament. Taiwan swept aside their opponents en route to the final of the Bronco World Series, routing U.S.-South 9-1, U.S.-West 10-0, and host city Los Alamitos 17-5. Launched in 1951 in Washington, Pennsylvania, PONY Baseball and Softball arranges competitions for boys and girls ranging in ages from 5 to 18. The nonprofit, whose name stands for “Protect Our Nation’s Youth,” became an international organization in the late 1950s. Prior to this year’s victory, Taiwan last captured the annual Bronco World Series title in 2012. (WF-E) Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw