Taiwan’s baseball team defeated Spain 6-3 in the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers (WBCQ) tournament on Tuesday evening, successfully advancing to next year's World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Head Coach Tseng Hao-jiu (曾豪駒) expressed his relief at the achievement, thanking the fans for their support, and the players, coaches, and staff for fighting for Taiwan. He also acknowledged the young talent on the roster, praising their resilience.
Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲), the team’s 31-year-old captain, shed tears after the game, thanking his younger teammates for stepping up under such great pressure. He also reflected on how many more chances he might have to represent Taiwan, and promised to continue for as long as possible.
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) took to social media to congratulate the team, writing that their attitude represents the spirit of Taiwan – never giving up and fighting to the end. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) also expressed his appreciation, thanking head coach Tseng, the coaching staff, and the team’s support crew for their tireless efforts in preparing for the qualifiers. He also acknowledged the sacrifices made by many young players who set aside their professional team training to represent Taiwan, calling them the future of Taiwanese baseball.
The achievement also drew attention from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, which both took to social media to congratulate the Taiwanese team for making it to next year’s WBC.