Storied Hongye team sets sights on Little League World Series berth

Taipei, June 23 (CNA) Taiwan's storied Hongye Elementary School baseball team will depart for South Korea on Wednesday to compete in the 2026 Little League Baseball (LLB) Asia-Pacific Region Tournament in pursuit of a berth in the Little League World Series (LLWS).

Representing Taiwan, the team from Taitung County's Yanping Township will open the Asia-Pacific tournament on Saturday against a team from the Philippines at Hwaseung Dream Park in South Korea.

Hongye qualified for the regional tournament after capturing the Chunghwa Telecom Hsieh Kuo-cheng Cup in March, defeating Pingtung County's Daping Elementary School 6-5 in the championship game, but that victory will bring the pressure of high expectations.

Represented by a team from Taipei's Tung-Yuan Little League, Taiwan won its first LLWS title last year since 1996, and Taiwan teams have overcome South Korean teams the last four years to earn a spot in the LLWS in Williamsport, Pennsylvania as the Asia-Pacific champion.

Winning the right to represent Taiwan was especially significant for Hongye because it ended Taitung's 20-year national Little League championship drought and marked the first national title in the school's history.

At a celebratory banquet held in Taipei on Monday ahead of the team's departure, Hongye principal and team manager Fang Ying-feng (方穎豐) said the achievement was the result of years of patient development rather than immediate success.

When he first arrived at the school, Fang said, there were no coaches, few players and limited resources. The program focused on recruiting children who loved baseball but lacked access to training opportunities and equipment.

"It took six years before we won a national championship," he said. "If you take care of the details, championships will come naturally."

Despite its small size, Hongye Elementary School carries enormous historical significance in Taiwanese baseball.

In 1968, the school's Little League team famously defeated a Japanese all-star squad 7-0, helping spark Taiwan's rise as an international youth baseball powerhouse and paving the way for the island's success at the LLWS.

Hongye itself never made an LLWS, however, and quickly fell from grace because the team was found to have used overage players in its lineup in games in 1968 and 1969.

In trying to revive the school's baseball program, Fang emphasized that academic achievement remained a priority for the team, noting that several players ranked among the county's top students in recent assessments despite the demands of training and competition.

Among them is 12-year-old outfielder and pitcher Mayow (王奕穎), who joined Hongye two years ago and is expected to be part of Taiwan's campaign in South Korea.

Wang said coaches not only teach baseball skills but also stress gratitude and making the most of opportunities provided by supporters.

Asked whether Hongye's famous history creates additional pressure, Wang said he prefers to focus on the present rather than outside expectations.

"If we're good enough to win a championship, we'll earn it naturally," he said.

For now, he added, the team's immediate goal is clear: win the Asia-Pacific tournament and take the next step toward Williamsport.