Basketball: Taiwan's HBL elite teams travel to Serbia for World School Championship

Taiwan's top high school basketball talent is heading to Serbia to vie for international glory. The boys' and girls' elite teams have departed for Zlatibor, Serbia, to participate in the 2026 World School Championship, scheduled from June 13 to 22.

The Taiwanese delegation includes 32 boys' teams and 28 girls' teams competing. The girls' squad is led by head coach Li Tai-ying of Taipei Yangming High School and assistant coach Luo Yan-ping of Taipei First Girls High School. Their roster features 12 players from prominent schools including Taipei Yangming, Taipei First Girls, Tamsui Commercial High School, Yongren High School, and Nanshan High School.

For the boys' team, head coach Liao Chih-chih of Taichung Dongshan High School and assistant coach Li Yu-wei of Hsinchu Kuangfu High School are at the helm. The team comprises 12 players from Nanhu High School, Taichung Dongshan, Nengren Vocational High School, Hsinchu Kuangfu, and Changhua Chenggong High School.

In the previous 2024 World School Championship, Taiwan's boys' team secured a commendable sixth place, while the girls' team finished ninth. High School Sports Federation President Hu Chien-feng personally saw the teams off at Taoyuan Airport, encouraging the players to showcase their training and strive for success. Former women's national team player Chu Tsay-feng, now Secretary-General of the High School Sports Federation, is accompanying the teams, emphasizing the importance of this international experience for the young athletes to learn and grow.