Gymnastics chief dismissed after denying duo World spots

Taipei, Sept. 15 (CNA) Chinese Taipei Gymnastics Association (CTGA) Secretary-General Chiang Chien-tung (江建東) has stepped down after unilaterally rejecting an invitation for two gymnasts to compete at next month's Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, the association said Tuesday.

In a statement, the CTGA again apologized to gymnasts Lee Chia-wei (李佳蔚) and Pan Cai-chen (潘采宸), as well as their families and coaches, for declining the invitation without consulting them and depriving them of a chance to compete.

"No amount of apologies can give these two athletes back their spots -- the outcome is irreversible," the CTGA said. "They dedicated years to earning one shot at competing, and we didn't even let them know they were standing at the threshold."

Chiang stepped down as secretary-general after the Sports Ministry invoked Article 43 of the National Sports Act last Friday to remove him, according to the statement.

The CTGA statement came amid mounting backlash over its handling of the incident, which came to light on Sept. 7. The association pledged to implement reforms within two months to ensure no other athlete suffers a similar fate.

Both gymnasts are based in Pingtung County. Lee was born in 2009 and Pan in 2008.

According to the CTGA, the pair had earned reallocated spots to compete at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from Oct. 17-25, with Pan qualifying for the floor exercise and Lee for the uneven bars.

The CTGA received the invitation from World Gymnastics in the early hours of Aug. 20 and was given one day to confirm, according to the association's earlier statements.

Chiang concluded it was not feasible to complete the required procedures for international entry within 24 hours and informed World Gymnastics that the association could not meet the deadline, according to the CTGA.

The association said national team rosters must be reviewed by an official selection committee and filed with the Sports Ministry, and that individual associations cannot make such decisions on their own.

Last Friday, the ministry ordered the CTGA to submit a full review clarifying the decision-making process and assigning responsibility.

It also instructed the association to establish formal procedures for handling reallocated qualification spots and emergency notifications.