TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's national baseball team, which competes internationally under the name Chinese Taipei (中華隊) due to complex geopolitical arrangements, has intensified its strategic planning for the 2026 World Baseball Classic tournament. Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), president of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL, 中華職棒), the island's premier professional baseball organization, revealed Monday (May 12) that three new specialized personnel will join the team's analytical operations.
The league president emphasized that among the three new additions to the national team staff will be a coach with significant reputation and experience. Tsai explained that current head coach Tseng Hao-chu (曾豪駒), who continues to manage his regular-season CPBL team responsibilities, faces time constraints that make these supplementary appointments necessary to strengthen the squad's preparation efforts for the prestigious international tournament.
In a demonstration of the program's heightened commitment, Tsai disclosed plans for international recruitment trips to both the United States and Japan, where he intends to personally evaluate and court eligible players of Taiwanese heritage competing in major foreign leagues. The administrator emphasized his readiness to undertake these overseas missions himself, viewing the personal touch as an expression of earnestness in recruitment efforts. Addressing budgetary realities, Tsai pledged that the professional league would supplement government funding to ensure proper team development, while expressing appreciation for the passionate fan base that supports Taiwanese baseball.
The national squad earned its berth in the prestigious global competition earlier this year when it successfully qualified during February tournaments. Officials confirmed that Tseng will maintain his position as head coach despite his multiple commitments, while management continues evaluating various approaches to strengthen the team's competitive capabilities ahead of the 2026 championship event, which features the world's premier baseball-playing nations. ★
