Taiwanese umpire Liu Po-chun officiates in new US women's pro baseball league

Taiwanese umpire Liu Po-chun has begun officiating in the newly established Women's Professional Baseball League (WPBL) in the United States, marking a significant step in international sports participation.

Liu shared her excitement on Facebook, thanking the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their rapid visa processing, which enabled her to join the league. She will be officiating for two weeks, emphasizing her commitment to strengthening sports diplomacy between Taiwan and the U.S.

The WPBL kicked off in August with four founding teams: Los Angeles, New York, Boston, and San Francisco. Among the players is Sarah Edwards, who previously served as a hitting coach for Taiwan's CTBC Brothers in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. Edwards currently plays for the Los Angeles Queens.

In a recent game between the Los Angeles Queens and the Boston Hunters, Liu was the home plate umpire. Edwards hit a crucial go-ahead single in the bottom of the sixth inning, giving the Queens a 7-6 lead. The team went on to win the game 8-6, with Edwards contributing one hit and one RBI in three at-bats.