Historic Women’s Softball Professional League launched in Taiwan

A brand new chapter of Softball is being written in Taiwan as the Chinese Taipei Amateur Softball Association announced the establishment of “Taiwan Professional Women’s Softball League” in May. The nation’s first-ever softball league will open its inaugural season in June and will be recognized as softball’s top-tier league in the country. Chinese Taipei, a member of WBSC since 1965 (ISF), is currently the No. 5 in the latest WBSC World Softball Rankings.

According to Chinese Taipei Amateur Softball Association president J.P. Chen, “the concept of forming a professional softball league was created following the completion of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon,” where Chinese Taipei softball team won the silver as Japan took the gold.

With the support from Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, Sports Administration and Legislative Yuan, the inaugural season of Taiwan’s first-ever professional softball league will commence on 18 June.

In its first season, four teams – Caesar Hotel Braves, Nanto Eagles, Taipei University Bears and Wagor Jaguars – will play a total of 48 games before the top two teams enter the best-of-three finals for the championship title of the season. The games will be played during weekends throughout fields in Taipei and Taichung during the span of five months.

Taichung City Softball Association President and Deputy Speaker at Legislative Yuan C.C. Tsai stated that “We are taking our aims at the return of Softball in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.” J.P. Chen also called for more involvement and participation from local business and enterprises, “We are running this league with the standard of professional league, and we are expecting an expansion as soon as next season (2017).”

The league will also be the uniting force for former national teammates such as pitcher Huilin Chung and infielder Yiting Yang from the 2014 Asian Games. Chung has been coaching softball after the Asian Games and will be the ace pitcher for the Braves. Yang, who hit a grand-slam home run against Korea last year in the Asian Qualifier for the Softball World Championship, will play for the Eagles.

All games, including exhibition games to be held in May, are admission free and will be carried on TV and/or streamed online.