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Basketball Chairman: Business Class Not Guaranteed for All Players; Budget is Key Issue

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The Chinese Taipei men's basketball team faced administrative issues before the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, including a registration error and staggered travel arrangements.
  • New Basketball Association Chairman Koo Kung-yi acknowledged the problems, stating that while the association is only two weeks old, improvements are necessary.
  • Koo clarified that not all players will be guaranteed business class seats in future tournaments, explaining that subsidies typically cover economy class, with exceptions considered based on distance, travel time, or player size.

The Chinese Taipei men's basketball team's journey to the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers has been marred by administrative shortcomings. Issues included a significant oversight in player registration, with player Su Wen-ru reportedly missed, and team members having to travel in staggered groups rather than together.

I don't want to push the responsibility to the handover or the previous administration, we can definitely arrange it better.

— Koo Kung-yiAcknowledging administrative issues faced by the team and taking responsibility for improvements.

Koo Kung-yi, the newly appointed chairman of the Basketball Association, addressed these controversies while supporting the team in South Korea. He acknowledged that the association has only been under new leadership for two weeks but stressed that he would not shift blame. "We can definitely arrange it better," Koo stated, indicating a commitment to improving future operations.

Regarding the contentious issue of travel arrangements, Koo directly addressed whether players would always be guaranteed business class seats. "No, that's not possible," he responded. He pointed out that even the national team during the Classic Games in Japan did not have all players in business class. Koo explained that standard subsidies from the Sports Administration typically cover economy class for all sports, with exceptions for business class being rare and subject to specific criteria.

No, that's not possible. The Classic Games in Japan did not have all players in business class either.

— Koo Kung-yiResponding to questions about guaranteeing business class travel for all players.

Koo emphasized the need to establish a more consistent system for player arrangements. He proposed that the association, player unions, and team representatives should discuss and agree upon a standardized procedure. This would prevent the recurring disputes that arise from ad-hoc decisions. "We need to have a system so that every competition is not different, then there will be fewer disputes," he said.

All sports items follow the regulations of the Sports Administration, which are economy class flights. Exceptions can be discussed based on distance, years of service, or player size.

— Koo Kung-yiExplaining the standard travel policy and potential exceptions for players.

Ultimately, Koo described these travel and registration issues as "minor matters." He identified the lack of a clear budget and financial planning for future events, such as the 2027 World Cup, as the "major issue." He pledged to meticulously review all accounts and implement a more structured financial framework to ensure the association operates with greater transparency and efficiency.

We need to have a system so that every competition is not different, then there will be fewer disputes.

— Koo Kung-yiHighlighting the need for a standardized procedure for team arrangements to avoid future conflicts.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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