TAIPEI, Taiwan | The hosts of the VII WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup Chinese Taipei announced their roster as they will face their Group A opponent Australia on the opening night on 28 July, followed by Japan, Mexico, Germany, and Venezuela in the opening round.
Chinese Taipei manager Ming-Jen Chen, who was named the national team skipper by leading his Hualian County team to win the Hua-Nan Financial Holdings U-12 Championship for the first time in tournament history, announced his training principles: “We will focus on the cohesion, character, and attitude of the team. The training starts tomorrow, and we hope to play the games that impress the fans.”
Tabalong Elementary pitcher Sheng-Kai Kao has been appointed as captain of the team, “He is a selfless player and often encourages his fellow teammates,” said manager Chen.
“I am really looking forward to playing against Japan. They are a great team especially known for hitting, I’d love to pitch against them,” said Kao who pitched a three-hit, one-run complete game in the Hua-Nan Financial Holdings U-12 championship game en route to winning the MVP of the Tournament.
Host city
Tainan Mayor Wei-Che Huang encouraged the team to play their best and keep the
trophy in Taiwan: “Hey, no pressure, just win the title!” He also announced that
the City has prepared featured local snakes and amusement rides around the
venue during the tournaments, “so there would be enough distractions for the visiting
teams as we try to play our best to win the title.”
Chinese Taipei Baseball Association Vice President Hua-Wei Lin presented team caps and a team flag to the team, while tournament title sponsor Hua-Nan Financial Holdings Chairman Yun-Peng Chang presented encouraging messages to the team.
The XII WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup will be held in Tainan’s Asia Pacific International Baseball Stadiums and Training Centers from 28 July to 6 August. The games can be viewed on local VideoLand Sports, ELTA Sports, CHT MOD, Hami Video, LINE TODAY, PTS and the WBSC’s GameTime streaming platform.
