A-Mei to perform at CPBL home run leader's retirement game

Taipei, Aug. 14 (CNA) Acclaimed Mandopop singer A-Mei (張惠妹) will be performing on Sept. 6 at the Taipei Dome to celebrate the retirement of Taiwanese baseball player Ngayaw Ake' (林智勝), according to the athlete's team Wei Chuan Dragons on Thursday.

A-Mei's performance will take place on day two of the three-day retirement celebrations from Sept. 5-7 that are part of the Taipei Dome series, the Wei Chuan franchise said, a day after the performance of Taiwanese pop singer Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰).

Both singers' performances will take place after a game between the Dragons and the TSG Hawks.

On the collaboration with A-Mei, the Dragons said the event will not just be a team-up between sports and media entertainment, it will also be a celebration of philanthropy between two Indigenous icons.

According to the Dragons, Ngayaw Ake' has long been a supporter of baseball development in rural Indigenous communities across the island through the Taiwan Indigenous Baseball Development Association (TIBDA).

Meanwhile, A-Mei has long supported the TIBDA's Care Cup tournament events which Ngayaw Ake' has been involved in.

A-Mei has also been an avid donor of baseball gloves to young Indigenous athletes for years, giving away 1,000 gloves every year since 2020.

"A-Mei and I are alike," Ngayaw Ake' said. "We are both philanthropists who help Indigenous children. We both believe that kids are the future of baseball and to share the stage with her on my last series is an honor."

"Ngayaw Ake' is not only a powerhouse on the baseball field, but also an example to many children," A-Mei said. "To be able to sing at one of his retirement games will be my most sincere blessing to him."

Currently, Ngayaw Ake' holds the all-time record for home runs in Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL).

He first confirmed his plan to retire in February this year.

On March 31, the 43-year-old veteran called on fans attending the games in September to shout out their "love and support," "because I have no idea whether I will ever hear you say these things again in the future."

The Wei Chuan franchise also invited fans to celebrate the more than two decade illustrious career of CPBL legend Ngayaw Ake' the same day.