Sports agency warns CTTTA for revoking athlete's WTT U.S. Smash slot

Taipei, June 2 (CNA) Taiwan's Sports Administration on Monday issued a formal warning to the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) and announced the suspension of subsidies unrelated to training and competitions.

The move came after the association last month revoked Yeh Yi-tian's (葉伊恬) place at the World Table Tennis (WTT) U.S. Smash tournament scheduled for July, which only came to light when the young Taiwanese athlete's name was missing from the tournament draw.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Deputy Education Minister Chang Liao Wan-chien (張廖萬堅) said the incident harmed Yeh's right to participate in competitions, and the association failed to actively respond to public concerns.

Chang was also quoted as saying that the move "seriously harmed" the association's professional image and that it must immediately provide a full account of what happened and issue a public apology to the athlete.

The deputy education minister said the Sports Administration, which operates under the Ministry of Education (MOE), will consider further penalties under the National Sports Act if the association fails to make improvements.

Such sanctions could include dismissing the CTTTA's secretary-general and reorganizing its operations, he said.

Seventeen-year-old Yeh had been invited to participate in the WTT U.S. Smash 2025, but the CTTTA revoked the young player's slot due to a scheduling conflict with the 29th Asian Youth Championships 2025 that are set to take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The MOE said the association should not have made the decision to unilaterally decline Yeh's WTT invitation and should instead have respected her desire to compete in the tournament.

The ministry said recent reforms have aimed to ensure transparency in athlete selection processes by involving coaches and professionals in decision-making bodies.

Chang said the planned establishment of the Ministry of Sports in September must be accompanied by changes in how associations are governed.

The MOE said it remains committed to protecting athletes' basic right to train and compete and will continue to promote athlete-centered governance in all sports associations.

On Sunday, the CTTTA said it would "humbly review criticism and suggestions from every quarter" and hold an emergency board meeting and selection and training committee meetings "in the coming days" -- though it did not issue an apology in its written statement.

Cheng Shih-chung (鄭世忠), head of the Sports Administration, previously criticized Yang Cheng-hsiung (楊正雄), who has overseen the association for over 30 years, for failing to host international tournaments and for "often recommending unsuitable people to serve as coaches to national teams."

The head of the sports administration added that Yang must "seriously consider" the direction he is taking the association.