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Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail Yahoo! Search Search: Sign InNew User? Sign Up News Home - Help Navigation Primary Navigation Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Secondary Navigation Asia Pacific World Search Search: Taiwan invests in future of baseball AFP - Tuesday, May 26 TAIPEI (AFP) - - Since splitting from China six decades ago, Taiwan has lost to its much bigger rival in nearly every sporting arena, but comforted itself with the knowledge that it ruled the baseball diamond. ADVERTISEMENT The island has won 16 Little League World Series titles in the past four decades, took silver at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and produced US Major League talent including Yankees pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. But that confidence has been shattered in recent months, with the island's squad suffering humiliating defeats to rival China at both the Beijing Olympics in the preliminary round, and the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo in March. Those stinging defeats, along with multiple game-fixing scandals that have rocked Taiwan's professional baseball league over the past decade, have prompted authorities to take action -- and set aside a lot of money to do it. The government says it will spend 1.26 billion Taiwan dollars (37.3 million US) over the next four years to revitalise the game -- a huge sum for an island of just 23 million people. The money will be used to grow the game islandwide, subsidising teams from grade schools to the pros. "Baseball is not all about money. Enthusiasm is by no means less important," Richard Lin, secretary-general of the Chinese Taipei Amateur Baseball Association, told AFP. "But the government's fund certainly will help as the cost of purchasing baseball equipment and training programmes would be quite a burden to some families." Baseball first gained popularity in Taiwan in 1968, when the Hong Yeh team from the east of the island -- which learned to play with wooden clubs and stones -- crushed a Japanese team in two exhibition games. After the Taiwanese team's Olympic success in Barcelona -- where they defeated Japan and the United States, but lost the title to powerhouse Cuba -- the number of grade school teams soared to more than 400. "Baseball teams at the elementary school level are the base of the sport," said Lin. But the love of the game has waned in the past decade or so, after a game-fixing scandal in the professional league in 1997 led to the disbanding of the China Times Eagles squad. Another team, Media T-Rex, was suspended from play late last year and later disbanded after three players and a coach were sacked over allegations of fixing games. So baseball officials here want to rebuild the sport's fan base. Last year, only 2,000 fans attended each game, down from an average of 5,000 people in previous years. "The repeated game-fixing scandals really broke the heart of many local baseball fans," said Hsu Sheng-ming, the head coach of the Sinon Bull team. "It was understandable that they felt deeply disappointed after finding their trust in the players had been betrayed." Under the baseball rescue plan, each of the island's four professional teams could receive up to 10 million Taiwan dollars in subsidies a year to beef up their farm teams, in a bid to nurture new talent. At least 10 amateur teams will also be organised -- up from just two now -- and more training facilities will be built. The scheme also aims to root out game-fixing, calling for stiffer punishments to be imposed. The professional season got off to a good start in late March, when 10,000 people packed into Tienmu stadium in the capital Taipei for opening day. President Ma Ying-jeou even threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Yang Wen-wen, a 24-year-old Elephants fan from northern Taoyuan county, says the island's passion for the game would easily trump bruised egos over the twin losses to China. "To tell the truth, I was very disappointed at the two defeats. But then again, that has not stopped me from loving baseball," said Yang. Email Story IM Story Printable View Blog This Sign in to recommend this article » 0 users recommend Related Articles: Entertainment & Lifestyle B'way ticket availability through Sunday, May 31AP - Wednesday, May 27 Divorcing Mel Gibson, girlfriend expecting babyAP - Wednesday, May 27 Rapper T.I. to report to Ark. federal prisonAP - Wednesday, May 27 Marcel Marceau's top hat hits Paris auction blocksAP - Wednesday, May 27 Rare Audrey Hepburn stamp goes to auctionAP - Wednesday, May 27 Enlarge Photo Students taking part in softball practice at a school in Taipei. The love of the game of baseball has waned in the past decade or so across the island after a game-fixing scandal in the professional league in 1997 led to the disbanding of the China Times Eagles squad, so baseball officials here want to rebuild the sport's fan base. Most Popular – Entertainment Viewed Climate change: World's destiny at stake G8 hears oil prices could again soar when crisis eases World Bank chief warns about economic crisis Vitamin D boosts brain power in middle-aged men Smokers duped by light cigarettes: US court View Complete List » Search: Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Top Stories Most Popular Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Community - Intellectual Property Rights Policy - Help

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