Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of July 18 with the team of youngsters from Taiwan that won the 2011 International Baseball Federation (IBAF) 12U Baseball World Championship, and offered praise and admiration for the team's wonderful performance during the tournament.

The president stated that the Taiwan team exhibited great composure on July 17 in winning the title against the team from Cuba. Even though the Taiwan team lost to Cuba by a score of 6 to 2 in the opening round, the youngsters from Taiwan put in a stellar performance yesterday. With strong direction from the coaches, the team captured the championship to the delight of the public.

President Ma stated that the IBAF selected Taipei to hold the inaugural championship for little leaguers aged 12 and under because of the efforts made by the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association and assistance provided by the Taipei City Government. Holding this tournament bears important significance for the development of baseball here, he said.

The president remarked that baseball is our national pastime, with about six million players and fans, adding that even though the sport has suffered some setbacks, the government designated last year as the year to revitalize baseball in Taiwan. The Sports Affairs Council has supported this initiative with significant funding, helping to pave the way for the thriving development of the sport all the way from little league baseball to adult leagues. Pointing to Taiwan's little league baseball as an example, the president noted that Taiwan has 800 formal teams and over 200 informal clubs, and the results of this tournament show that the efforts to revitalize the sport are gradually bearing fruit.

President Ma commented that Taiwan maintains close interaction with the international baseball community, and the recent tournament is another in a string of large-scale international athletic events to be held in Taiwan, including the Deaflympics and the World Games in 2009. He urged the youngsters to be humble despite winning the championship, and to work on their weaknesses so as to build an even more formidable team. President Ma stated that the recent performance of baseball teams from Taiwan shows they are improving and gradually becoming the world's best. The government, he added, will continue to provide strong assistance to develop baseball talent and keep Taiwan among the ranks of the world's baseball elite.

The team from Taiwan was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Sports Affairs Council Minister Tai Hsia-ling (戴遐齡) to meet President Ma. On behalf of the team, team captain Wan Chao-ching (萬昭清) presented a baseball signed by all the team's members to President Ma, and showed him the championship trophy. The president returned the gesture by presenting each of the youngsters with a commemorative watch from the Office of the President and commended them for winning distinction for the nation.