Taipei, Dec. 23 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Tuesday that Taiwan sporting talent is shining in the international sports arena, showing that although the country is small, it has big ambitions.
The president made the remarks when he received Taiwan-born golfer Candie Kung, a three-time winner on the LPGA tour this year.
The president lauded Kung for her courage and confidence in "always having Taiwan on her mind and making it visible to the world."
He noted that Kung emigrated with her parents to California when she was 14 and that she still holds a Republic of China passport.
Kung carries an ROC national flag with her in every game and shows it to the media at post-tournament press conferences, proudly proclaiming that "I come from Taiwan."
The president noted that the LPGA was founded in 1950 and that although six Taiwan players have tried to make their marks on the tour, only Kung and Cheng Mei-chi have made it to the top.
Kung took three wins in a period of five months, setting a historic record for Taiwan golfers, the president said.
The president said that not only has Taiwan excelled in the production of golf equipment, but also a "Taiwan female Tiger" is emerging, referring to top golfer Tiger Woods. "Kung is the pride of the 23 million people of Taiwan, " the president said.
Citing the examples of sprinter Chi Cheng and decathlete Yang Chuang-kuang and more recently the baseball players Chen Chin-feng and Tsao Chin-hui, the president said that "Taiwan-made" is indeed good quality.
He also noted that there are many other sportsmen and women waiting for their chance to shine and that they need more business support and government assistance.
He said that he was gratified to learn that Formosa Plastics Chairman Wang Yung-ching and the Golf Association of the Republic of China Chairman Wang Yung-tsai will contribute generously to set up a Candie Kung development fund.
The president said that the government will continue to encourage top players and will provide assistance and training programs, hoping for a development of golf through the efforts of the government and private sectors.