National canoe polo player says athletes must pay to compete abroad, exposing the federation’s hidden power network

A national canoe polo player’s complaint about paying to represent Taiwan at a world championship has opened a wider examination of the country’s Canoe Association. Song Jun-hee said on social media that athletes preparing to travel to Germany were told to pay NT$100,000 each. Those who withdrew at the last minute could also face a cancellation charge of about NT$60,000.

The association responded that the rules for the 2026 World Canoe Polo Championships require athletes and coaches to raise any amount not covered by Sports Ministry subsidies. It said it had never promised that participation would be completely free. The statement appeared on the association’s website without a signature or official stamp, prompting questions over who drafted and issued it.

The controversy has also brought renewed attention to the association’s long history and political connections. Founded in 1991, it was led for two terms by Wu Wen-ta, known as the “father of badminton,” before figures linked to the Xindian political network took over. Chen Ming-hsiung served four terms as chairman, former legislator Lo Fu-chu served two, and current legislator Lo Ming-tsai served four terms as vice chairman. The current chair, former Xindian district chief Wang Mei-yueh, was re-elected early this year.

The association’s secretary-general, Chang Chih-man, has held the post since its founding on Aug. 31, 1991, more than 35 years. He previously headed the Sports Administration Division of Taiwan’s Education Ministry and served as secretary-general of both the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee and the national sports federation. In 2019, the Education Ministry’s Sports Administration awarded him its lifetime achievement honor for school sports.

The association’s published accounts show another point of scrutiny. Its budgets were listed at NT$16.029 million in both 2024 and 2025, but final spending reached NT$47.79 million in 2024 and about NT$55.04 million in 2025. The article says the difference came mainly from government subsidies, portraying the association as receiving far more public support than its initial budgets indicated.

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self-funded NT$100,000