Taiwan Launches Sports Ministry Led by Olympic Champion Lee Yang

TaiwanPlus News

Taiwan's athletes are getting an extra hand. On National Sports Day this year, the government launched the Ministry of Sports as a Cabinet-level body to make the country's athletes more competitive and encourage Taiwan's public to exercise. The ministry will be led by double Olympic badminton champion Lee Yang, who at age 30 becomes Taiwan's youngest-ever minister.

Transcript

00:00In recent years, sports moments like these have become more common in Taiwan.

00:08Winning, winning, and more winning.

00:11Whether it's grabbing gold medals at world events,

00:14or winning its first elite-level baseball championship tournament,

00:18Taiwan's sports fans have lots to celebrate.

00:21And now, they have even more reason to rejoice,

00:24as the country launches a new sports ministry.

00:30This is the 9th day of the National Football Day.

00:33It's also the day of the country's happy.

00:36Because today, the sports ministry is officially set up.

00:43The sports ministry is officially set up.

00:47The government upgraded the National Sports Administration,

00:51previously under the Education Ministry,

00:53into its own cabinet-level entity.

00:56Establishing the sports ministry was a campaign promise

00:59that President Lai Ching-de made when he ran for president in 2023.

01:04The ministry is a celebration of all things sports.

01:08Its logo is inspired by a celebration gesture

01:11that Taiwan's national baseball team captain Chen Jie-xin made

01:15after he hit a pivotal home run in the Premier 12 tournament

01:19to beat Japan in the finals.

01:21It was an iconic moment,

01:24one that memorialized Taiwan's first-ever win

01:27at an elite-level international baseball tournament.

01:30But the logo also holds another meaning,

01:33as its two parts form two Ts, short for Team Taiwan.

01:39At the helm is two-time Olympic gold medalist Li Yang.

01:42At just 30 years old,

01:45he is the youngest minister in Taiwan's history.

01:49I am a athlete.

01:49I have experienced many challenges and growth in the soccer field.

01:54Therefore, I can especially feel the heart of the athlete's athletes

01:58and know the challenges of the development of Taiwan's activities.

02:01One of the ministry's main goals

02:05is to help make Taiwan's athletes more competitive.

02:08Many have high hopes for its future.

02:10Of course, we hope that he can make our athletes better than our athletes,

02:14and make our athletes better than our athletes better than our athletes.

02:19Of course, we hope that we have a more complete plan and help.

02:25And we hope that they can bring the athletes to the higher and higher.

02:29I think the biggest problem is the place.

02:33And those hopes go beyond the country's borders.

02:45Taiwanese athletes training abroad also look to the ministry as a force to step up their game.

02:50I hope the sport ministry can help me as a fencer and help me make it to the Olympics.

02:56But the ministry is tasked with not just developing Taiwan's professional athletes.

03:01It will also encourage everyone in Taiwan to take up more exercise,

03:06something Minister Li says he'll prioritize.

03:09So whether you're young or old, competing as an athlete or para-athlete,

03:14or putting on running shoes for the first time,

03:16this ministry is here to help the country stay active.

03:20Justin Wu and Leslie Liao for Taiwan Plus.

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