Taiwan men, women defend 600kg, 500kg world indoor tug of war titles

Taipei, March 14 (CNA) Taiwan's men's and women's teams successfully defended their 600-kilogram and 500-kg titles, respectively, at the 2026 World Indoor Tug of War Championships in Taipei on Saturday.

The eight-man squad, which secured its first-ever title in the event in 2024, clinched back-to-back championships at Taipei Arena by sweeping the Netherlands 2-0 in the final. The team remained undefeated throughout the tournament, not dropping a single set en route to gold.

This marks the first time the prestigious tournament has been held in Taiwan.

Chen Chien-wen (陳建文), the team's coach, told CNA that the squad extended its preparation period from eight months to a full year to defend the title on home soil.

As part of its preparation, the team collectively lost more than 100 kg in the two months leading up to the official weigh-in to meet the weight limit, only to regain 70 kg in the following three days to maximize its power for the competition, according to Chen.

Also on Saturday, Taiwan's women's team clinched its fourth consecutive title in the 500kg category.

Competing against teams from Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and the Basque Country, Taiwan finished the round-robin preliminary stage with a perfect record.

The Taiwanese squad then defeated Thailand in the semifinals before securing the title with a straight-sets victory (2-0) over the Basque Country in the final.