Date: January 4, 2024
Issuing unit: Sports Industry & Planning Division
Contact person: Specialist Hsu Lih-jia
Tel.: 02-8771-1739
E-mail：kellyhsu@mail.sa.gov.tw
Media contact person: Section chief Hsu Shu-ting
Tel.: 02-8771-1824
E-mail：0114@mail.sa.gov.tw
The Sports Administration (SA) announced the 2023 Sports Elite Awards "Best Male Athlete Award", "Best Female Athlete Award", "Best Coach Award", "Best Sports Team Award", "Best Newcomer Award" and "Best Sportsmanship Award" finalists; the recipients of the "Lifetime Achievement Award" and "Special Award" were also announced; coach Liu Jin-chi won the Lifetime Achievement Award and Go player Hsu Haohung won the Special Award.
Deputy Director-General of the SA Hung Chih-chang said that this year's Sports Elite Awards accepted a total of 85 recommendations for selection. He expressed gratitude to individuals from all walks of life who actively participated in the nomination process. The main visual design of this year's Awards uses the "infinity symbol" to symbolize the ongoing improvement and boundless energy within Taiwan's sports. Coach Liu Jin-chi, recipient of the "Lifetime Achievement Award", is an example; just celebrated his 80th birthday, he has devoted himself to school basketball during 40 years of service. In terms of school basketball, Coach Liu not only founded both the men's and women's basketball teams at Kaohsiung Cisian Junior High School (KCJHS) but also guided the women's team to seven junior high school basketball league championships and the men’s team to three championships, he also led Kaohsiung Municipal Sanmin Vocational High School of Home Economics & Commerce (KMSVHS-HEC) to win two HBL championships. Coach Liu has also long been an enthusiastic promoter of basketball and established the "Kaohsiung City Nanna Basketball Association" which organized 19 Nanna Cup Campus Basketball Invitational Tournaments. In addition to sponsoring the KCJHS men's and women's basketball teams so that the teams can operate sustainably, he also connected KMSVHS-HEC and I-Shou University, forming the 137 Basketball League; Even after 20 years of retirement, he continues to contribute, training numerous national basketball players. The judges acknowledged his lasting impact on Taiwan's sports, dubbing him "the promoter of basketball in southern Taiwan."
The "Special Award" this year goes to 22-year-old Taiwanese Go player Hsu Haohung. He secured Taiwan's first gold medal in Asian Games Go history at The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou Men's Individual Competition. Hsu achieved remarkable victories on his way to the gold medal. In the quarter-finals, he defeated the world's No. 1 South Korean player, Shin Jin-seo. Furthermore, in the gold medal match, he emerged victorious against the world's third-ranked Chinese player, Ke Jie. At the age of 12, Hsu entered professional Go, securing eight domestic championships in 2022. The jury unanimously agrees that Hsu's conquest over top players in Chinese and Korean Go, culminating in his title as the Asian Go king, is truly deserving of this prestigious honor.
In addition to announcing the winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Special Award today, the shortlist of the six major awards was also announced. After the preliminary round, one of the Best Male Athlete finalists is Yang Yung-wei, who won the 100th Asian games gold medal for Taiwan at The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou; he won the Best Male Athlete award in the 2021 and 2022 Sports Elite Awards. This year, he is again recognized by the judges and aims for a three successive wins three-peat. This year, the finalists in the same category are Lee Chih-kai, Hsu Yu-hsiou, Lai Chu-en and Lai Kuan-chieh, who have performed extremely well in various competitions. The Best Female Athlete nominees, Li Meng-chu, Gu Shiau-shuang, Lin Yu-ting, Chang Chu-han, and Lian Chen-ling, have each experienced ups and downs in their career, and now they are in the pantheon of honor and encouraging each other. The Best Coach Award nominees include coach Tseng Tzu-chiang (John Tseng) who coaches Lin Yu-ting, coach Liu Wen-teng who coaches Yang Yung-wei, and roller-skating coach Wu Jiong-zhu.
Among the contenders for the Best Sports Team award, there are the 2021 Summer World Universiade Badminton Team, The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou Men's Sprint Roller Skating Team, The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou Men's Basketball 3X3 Team, The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou Men's Gymnastics Team and the women’s tug-of-war team from the 2023 TWIF World Outdoor Championships. In the Best Rookie Athlete Award category, three young track and field athletes, Lin Pei-Hsuan, Huang Chao-hong, and Hsie Yuan-kai, as well as fencer Hung Li-hsiang and roller skater Wang Yu-chun, are all shortlisted. Who will win the award will test the collective wisdom of the final selection judges.
The Best Sportsmanship Award is among the most fiercely contested. After two intense rounds of deliberation, Gu Shiau-shuang, who came from behind to win gold, Gan Jia-wei who fought a bloody battle, Lian Chen-ling who never gives up, and champion weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun were shortlisted. The SA thanks all players and teams for their dedication and fighting spirit, making significant contributions to Taiwanese sports.