Premier Jiang Yi-huah was briefed by the Ministry of Education (MOE) at today's Cabinet meeting on the status of baseball in Taiwan and its future development strategies. The premier noted that the number of school baseball clubs has burgeoned from 377 in 2009 to more than 1,000 today, thanks to promotional efforts started three years ago by the former Sports Affairs Council and the MOE.
Baseball in Taiwan is enjoying a resurgence in popularity after the Chinese Taipei baseball team advanced into the top eight at the World Baseball Classic this year, earning a fourth-place worldwide ranking from the International Baseball Federation. The premier stated that the MOE's overall plan to revive baseball has been successful so far and hopes it will build on this success to continue developing the national sport.
The premier also asked the MOE to invite sports groups, academics and experts to devise better strategies for finding and training talent, helping them participate in competitions and providing logistics support, so that the MOE's next four-year plan for baseball development would be more comprehensive.
Now that the public is taking a keen interest in baseball, Jiang reminded the MOE and its Sports Administration (SA) to pay close heed to people's suggestions, such as building more community baseball fields and mapping future career opportunities for professional players.
Regarding funding, the premier stated that as the central government's sports budget is limited, it cannot allocate all of that funding into baseball only. He said the MOE should invite private companies to contribute by sponsoring baseball teams and sports stadiums. The premier hopes to see more businesses join the effort by year-end so that baseball in Taiwan will have a stronger foundation on which to grow.
The Executive Yuan also formed its very own baseball team recently, said Jiang, and he hopes the SA will expand these friendly competitions. Encouraged by a very enthusiastic response, the premier welcomes more colleagues to join the team. He hopes the Executive Yuan squad will improve with experience and encourages more citizens to take part in the national pastime.