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進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》FEATURE: Sports reform proposal could face uphill battle
ENTRENCHED INTERESTS: The amendments include stronger financial oversight mechanisms, rules against nepotism and the establishment of an arbitration board
By Jason Pan / Staff reporter
Taiwan’s sports fans and athletes have been clamoring for reforms to clean up sports governing bodies for many years, but they might have to wait a little longer.
Proposed amendments to the National Sports Act （國民體育法） sent to the Legislative Yuan last month are tied up in review in the Education and Culture Committee, and skirmishes are widely expected between lawmakers in the coming months.
Calls for reform have come from many sectors of society because of a lack of financial transparency and excessive meddling by politicians in sports-related activities.
Most governing bodies, which receive large government subsidies have close links to retired or current Chinese Nationalist Party （KMT） politicians, but do not have to open up their account books for public scrutiny.
Several of the governing bodies have been embroiled in allegations of financial irregularities or corruption, with contracts awarded to companies run by families and friends of top sports executives. One example is the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee scandal that came to light last year during the Rio de Janiero Olympics, involving a major dispute with tennis star Hsieh Su-wei （謝淑葳）.
Supporters for change said the entire sporting system and the governing bodies require a massive clean-up if Taiwan is to make progress at major domestic and international competitions in baseball, soccer, tennis, badminton and basketball, as well as volleyball, cricket and gymnastics.
The Executive Yuan last month approved amendments to the National Sports Act, and forwarded them to the legislature for review. Just before the legislature went into recess in the last week of last month, the review process became bogged down in committee.
It took an entire afternoon to get through nine of the 45 articles in the proposed amendments, with lawmakers across party lines accusing Sports Administration officials of implementing inadequate measures and proposals that lacked substance.
Critics have warned that some legislators and sports officials have long dominated the running of the national sports bodies, and they may look for ways to stall the reform amendments to protect their interests.
Democratic Progressive Party （DPP） Legislator Huang Kuo-shu （黃國書） said he and the other DPP members on the committee will fight against any procedural delay tactics by KMT lawmakers when the new legislative session starts on Feb. 17.
It is time to overhaul the regulations governing the sporting bodies for the good of the nation’s athletes, coaches and fans by instituting checks and balances to prevent the shady influence of political forces, big money and business interests, Huang said.
Huang in recent years has been a strong critic of baseball and badminton authorities, hosting news conferences to call for opening up membership in the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association and demanding more transparent financial reporting and improved training programs at the grassroots level.
The lawmaker also backed badminton star Tai Tzu-ying （戴資穎） in August last year when the national badminton association was going to punish her amid an argument over money and sponsorship deals.
He said the association was dictating terms to the athletes by threatening punishment and sanctions.
DPP Legislator Liu Shih-fang （劉世芳）, whose constituency is in Kaohsiung, has an avid interest in soccer, and has provided assistance and financial support to develop men’s and women’s soccer in Taiwan.
As head of the Kaohsiung City Soccer Association, she had has backed the organizing of soccer competitions and international tournaments in the city, and has instituted a “Hope for Soccer Program” to develop young players.
Fans want to see Taiwanese soccer to grow and to make progress at international competitions, and passing the reform bill for the National Sports Act would be a giant stride forward, Liu said.
The proposed amendments would open the way for soccer professionals — players, coaches and trainers — to become board members and executives of the Chinese Taipei Football Association and to have roles in the decisionmaking process, Liu said.
The proposals would also help bring people with international experience and expertise to develop soccer programs, she said.
The proposed amendments include stronger financial oversight mechanisms, enhanced scrutiny by accounting firms and more restrictions against nepotism and conflicts of interest, she added.
Among the main proposals are the establishment of an arbitration board to handle disputes impartially. Critics have said athletes have long suffered from the overbearing officials and dictatorial rules of the governing bodies without recourse or mechanisms to address their grievances.
The proposed amendments also aims to reduce the unchecked political influence and financial control of sports body officials by requiring the organizations to be managed by professionals, with regular financial monitoring and transparency of administrative functioning and for the groups’ memberships to be opened up.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
