'Taiwan is not just chips': Lai lauds national baseball team's win

Taipei, Nov. 26 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) on Tuesday said Taiwan's national baseball team had made the country shine on the international stage with victory in the World Baseball Softball Confederation's (WBSC) Premier12 tournament.

Speaking about Sunday's win, Taiwan's first-ever senior-level international baseball title, Lai said the national team's marvelous performance let "the international community see Taiwan."

Also read: Behind the miracle: Keys to Taiwan's historic WBSC Premier12 title

"Taiwan is not just about semiconductors; Taiwan also has baseball," Lai said as he and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) received the team, its coaches and support staff at the Presidential Office in Taipei.

Hsiao also noted the athletes had brought pride to "Team Taiwan" with their skill, hard work and unwavering spirit on the world stage, where Taiwan had often faced "sorrow and frustration."

Hsiao, Taiwan's former envoy to Washington from 2020 to 2023, was implicitly referring to the diplomatic setbacks and other challenges Taipei has faced internationally over the years, largely due to pressure from China.

"I believe only Taiwanese people can truly understand this hardship and frustration... But because only Taiwanese understand, your achievements are all the more worthy of our appreciation," she added.

Speaking on behalf of the athletes, national team captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said he did not expect to win the championship at the start of the tournament.

Nevertheless, after seeing his teammates working so hard and tirelessly, and their look of confidence in each game, he realized that they could "achieve the impossible."

Chen's decisive three-run homer in the fifth inning of Sunday's win and his Premier12 leading .632 batting average secured him the tournament's MVP title.

The captain thanked the people of Taiwan for their support for the team, especially those who took part in a parade earlier in Taipei to celebrate the team's historic win.

With Taiwanese taking pride in the team, Chen added that the team would be able to "hold our heads high" and work to "achieve even better results" in international competitions.