Legislature approves plans to establish sports ministry

Taipei, Jan. 7 (CNA) Provisions paving the way for the establishment of a new sports ministry cleared the Legislature on Tuesday, with the ministry to be responsible for making sports-related policies and promoting the development of the sports industry.

With support from lawmakers across party lines, the provisions allowing the Sports Administration under the Ministry of Education to be upgraded to a ministerial agency were passed on the legislative floor.

According to the new measures, the tasks of the planned sports ministry include formulating and implementing sports-related policy, popularizing different sports, promoting the development of the sports industry and fostering collaborations with other countries through "sports diplomacy."

The planned ministry will be headed by a minister, with two deputy ministers and one vice minister.

Under the measures, a Sports Industry Development Center will also be created, as one of three public bodies under the proposed ministry, in addition to the National Sports Training Center and the Taiwan Institute of Sports Science.

The Executive Yuan began preparations for the planned ministry last August, in line with a policy pledge made by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) in his inaugural speech on May 20, 2024.

At that time, Cabinet officials were hopeful that the planned ministry would be inaugurated by August 2025, given that the issue had received bipartisan backing in the Legislature.

The Cabinet sent its finalized proposal to the Legislature for approval last October, and it was later deliberated alongside other versions of bills sponsored by lawmakers.