Premier Jiang Yi-huah today presided over the opening ceremony of the II (second) 12U (age 12 and under) Baseball World Cup, which will be played through July 28 in Taipei. He encouraged Taiwanese players to play their best and take advantage of this opportunity to sharpen their skills and make friends with their counterparts from around the world.
Jiang also threw the first pitch for Chinese Taipei's match with Brazil and presented the home team with "morale-boosting money" of NT$100,000 (US$3,337) prior to the game.
Under the auspices of the premier and International Baseball Federation Executive Director Michael Schmidt, the competition opened with great fanfare and a ceremonial gong beating.
On behalf of the ROC government, the premier welcomed 14 teams from around the world. "I believe that over the course of this 11-day competition, players will not only test each other's skills but also make new friends and feel the enthusiasm of the ROC's people," he said.
"Baseball is the ROC's national sport," he continued. "The spirit of untiring perseverance in the pursuit of honor which baseball requires comprises the soul of the ROC. Taiwan's baseball development system is very sound and comprehensive, ranging from 12U, 15U, 18U, adult to professional leagues, and is supported by men and women of all ages.
"In 2010, the Executive Yuan launched the Baseball Reinvigoration Plan to make the sport's foundations even broader and stronger. In turn, over the last two years, national teams have taken first or second place in a host of world competitions, including the regional qualifiers of the World Baseball Classic, the Asian Baseball Championship, and the Asian AA Baseball Championship.
"I sincerely hope the Chinese Taipei team maintains that success and flourishes in this tournament. I'm looking forward to the members of all 14 teams playing their best in this tournament and amazing baseball fans," he concluded.
The premier watched the game from near the home team's dugout together with staff members of the little league team of Taipei City's Dongyuan Elementary School. They cheered together for Chinese Taipei, which defeated Brazil by a score of 10-0.
The II 12U Baseball World Cup will be held at Taipei's baseball stadiums in Tianmu, Youth Park and Xinsheng Park. The 14 teams came from the Czech Republic, Philippines, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan, Panama, Russia, U.S., Italy, Venezuela and Taiwan, respectively.