eBASEBALL™ Federation Focus: CTBA celebrates being first Federation featured in WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS

02.08.2023 17:49

CTBA - Chinese Taipei Baseball Association

1. Recap the basic history of your National Federation and the origins of baseball in your country

Japan first introduced baseball in Taiwan in 1895, but it was not until the 1920s that baseball became popular and spread across the island. The birth of the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association (CTBA) dates back to 1949, shortly after the end of World War II.

Interest in baseball was revived during the 1950s, mainly as a local activity, and by the 1960s, baseball was played in many schools. This included the Hongye Elementary School in the island's centre, where most of the students were indigenous. Their success in an exhibition series against a Japanese team was a nationwide story. The CTBA first participated in international baseball at the 1972 Amateur World Series.

2. Describe your National Team programmes

The CTBA’s team won the U-18 Baseball World Cup in 1983 and surprised the world when they finished third in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games demonstration tournament. They finished second in the Baseball World Cup that year but their biggest international accomplishment was a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.

The CTBA started hosting international events with the 2001 Baseball World Cup and has since become a regular host of WBSC events, including hosting every edition of the U-12 Baseball World Cup.

In 2019, it was named the WBSC Federation of the Year after winning the U-12 and U-18 Baseball World Cups with Chinese Taipei currently fourth in the WBSC Men's Baseball World Rankings.

3. Describe your top-level competition (teams, cities involved, format)

The Chinese Professional Baseball League is the top competition on the island. Founded in 1989, the league currently has five participating teams and will expand to six in 2024.

4. Describe your grass-root activity

The CTBA oversees a strong youth baseball movement with approximately 188 U-12, 130 U-15 and 46 U-18 teams participating in school programmes all over the island. The Chinese Taipei Baseball Championships feature all-star teams representing different cities and the winning managers earn the right to select the team representing Chinese Taipei, in collaboration with the CTBA selection committee.

WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS

1. What do you hope to achieve by participating in WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS?

Our objectives are to maximise this opportunity to develop our sports through the gaming experience. As one of the regions where WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS has been most popular – three of the Olympic Esports Series 2023 finalists were from Chinese Taipei and Chia-Ming Wang – “CMWANG” won the bronze medal - we are confident that this is a great opportunity for us to reach a new fanbase.

2. How will your presence at WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS benefit your baseball and softball communities?

Playing a key role as the first National Federation to be featured in the new and exciting WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS will bring a lot of attention to the CTBA as well as our baseball community. It will help teach fans about different nationalities and generations about the history of baseball in Chinese Taipei.

3. What skills from eBASEBALL™ do you believe will transfer to actual baseball?

We know that many baseball players enjoy Power Pros, the predecessor to WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS, which has been played for 30 years in Japan. We believe that players can learn the rules of baseball and how to build a strategy through gaming. Competitive players are required to have a high level of concentration, which is a very important element in baseball.

4. How does your participation in WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS align with the overall strategy or mission of your federation?

Our participation in WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS aligns with the overall CTBA strategic plan and we also want to continue being a trusted WBSC member. We believe that the CTBA has much to contribute to the WBSC community and this new gaming experience is a key chapter in that long-term vision.

5. What benefits do you believe that you can bring to WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS?

In Chinese Taipei, where baseball is the most popular sport, we are confident that we have a great fanbase to bring to WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS. We want to be the bridge between baseball and eBASEBALL^TM.

6. What advice would you give to other NFs who are interested in being part of WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS?

More and more sports organisations have been entering the digital and gaming worlds and there is no reason why we cannot jump into this new era, where the WBSC and KONAMI, one of the largest gaming publishers in the world, have provided us with a solid and reliable platform.

7. What are you looking forward to most in relation to WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS?

Our expectation for WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS is that we will experience new and different dynamics in the gaming community.. We look forward to the success of WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS.