NCPFS Chairman Chen Chuan-show On Taiwan's Olympic Preparations
interview by Vito Lee / tr. by Michael Hill
July 2004
On May 20 Chen Chuan-show, a life-long devotee of sports, assumed a set of heavy duties as chairman for the National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (NCPFS). Chen is the first Olympic athlete to hold this position. With a doctorate in medical science from Japan and his experience developing physical education specialists in his previous position as president of the National Taiwan College of Physical Education (NTCPE) in Taichung, his expertise is his greatest asset.
With preparations underway for the Olympics, Chen Chuan-show sat down with Sinorama to discuss the achievements of competitive sports in Taiwan, the promotion of sports among the citizenry, and the development of sports under a tide of professionalization, and the role of the NCPFS in the future. He also discussed what he hopes to achieve as chairman, and the challenges facing him.
Q: What is the greatest challenge in your work as you move from being president of NTCPE to chairman of the NCPFS?
A: In terms of international competitions, the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing are the highest priorities for my job. In addition, a number of international competitions are being held in Taiwan this year. At the end of July we will have the World University Baseball Championship and the World Pool Championships, and in November we will have the Futsal (five-a-side indoor soccer) World Championships. These are important events in themselves, but as we see increasing links between sports, leisure, and tourism, it can also contribute to the 2004 "Visit Taiwan" project that is underway.
Q: You have just taken up this position as chairman, and the Athens Olympics are about to get started in August. What hopes do you have for the Chinese Taipei team's performance in these Olympics?
A: Preparations for the Olympics can't be made overnight, so since the end of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, the NCPFS and various individual sporting associations have been training and getting ready to compete. Since I have just taken up my post as chairman, there is quite a bit of pressure in terms of expectations for success and time. Fortunately, though, the abilities of the 87 members in this year's team are very good. In sports such as Taekwondo, weightlifting, baseball, archery, shooting, and table tennis, we have very high hopes for winning medals, and I think people in Taiwan will be excited to see what happens.
Q: You yourself have represented the country in the Olympics. According to your observation, do conflicts arise between increasing professionalization in sports and the pursuit of honor for one's country?
A: Professionalization is happening in sports worldwide, and currently the Olympics allow for participation by professional athletes. I think many people are familiar with the "dream teams" made up of professional basketball players from the NBA and pro baseball players from the Professional Baseball Organization of Japan (NPB), so I do not see a conflict between professionalization and pursuing honor for one's country.
Q: Many athletes from Taiwan have been drawn away by the professional sports scenes in other countries. Years ago, it happened in table tennis and golf, and now it is happening in baseball. As many athletes make it a goal to leave the country, what do you think about this phenomenon?
A: When I was president of NTCPE, scouts from abroad would come to find candidates from the school's baseball team. In addition to baseball, Lu Hsiao-chuan has done very well on the Japan Women's Golf Tour; her skills are truly world-class. These athletes are great competitors, but the scale of the domestic market is too small to support so many athletes, so for them to go abroad is an inevitable trend. When their skills improve, it can have a positive effect on athletes here in Taiwan and help take the abilities of people here to a higher level.
Q: Whether it is the merger of the two baseball leagues or the organization of the Super Basketball League (SBL), cooperation and mediation from the NCPFS is crucial. In the development of these two major sports, will the NCPFS continue to play an active role? What do you hope to see in the development of these two sports in Taiwan?
A: Sports are organized in a pyramid structure. At the top are competitive sports, and at the bottom is exercise among the general public. Professional competitive sport is at the very highest level, and it serves to increase participation in exercise and fitness activities among all the people, so its importance cannot be overlooked.
The results from the SBL's first year are still unclear, and in the future it will require more efforts. Professional baseball, on the other hand, is already on solid footing.
Professional sport is a private-sector activity, but establishing fair refereeing, adjudication, and arbitration systems is extremely important. Compared with public institutions, business-oriented professional sports have a hard time not becoming self-centered. In this kind of situation, I believe, in the future the government should still provide strong guidance.
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)
