Taiwan Women's Football Team Heads to EAFF Qualifiers Without Team Doctor; Minister Li Yang Urges Better Communication
The Taiwan Women's Football Players' Union criticized the lack of a team doctor for the EAFF E-1 Football Championship qualifiers. Minister of Sports Li Yang stated on June 4 that the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) should first communicate with the union and players to understand their needs before arranging staff. The CTFA cited competition regulations limiting staff to seven people and confirmed that local doctors would be available on match days.
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- 📰 Published: June 4, 2026 at 11:56
- 🔍 Collected: June 4, 2026 at 12:11 (15 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 16:15 (52h 3m after Collected)
(Central News Agency, reporter Chen Rongchen, Taipei, June 4) In response to the Taiwan Women's Football Players' Union's accusation that the team had no doctor for the EAFF E-1 Football Championship qualifiers, Minister of Sports Li Yang, before heading to the Legislative Yuan for questions, expressed his hope that the Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) would first communicate with the union and players to understand their needs before proceeding with subsequent staff arrangements.
The Taiwan women's football team has already flown to Guam to prepare for the EAFF qualifiers. However, the Taiwan Women's Football Players' Union revealed that they only realized at the airport that there was no 'team doctor' with the delegation. They stated it was hard to imagine the pressure and risk players would face in a foreign country with a different language without a team doctor for immediate medical attention.
The Chinese Taipei Football Association responded via a statement, explaining that due to competition regulations, each team can only register seven staff members. To ensure complete combat effectiveness, they had to adopt the most streamlined and efficient personnel configuration. They also stated they had been in close communication with the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF), confirming that local professional doctors would be assigned on match days to fully support the team's medical needs.
In response, Minister Li Yang, speaking to the media before entering the Legislative Yuan, mentioned that from the Ministry of Sports' standpoint, for all subsequent international competitions, they hope the CTFA will first understand the needs of the union and players before assigning staff. He emphasized that having a team doctor makes a significant difference, stating, 'We certainly hope the team doctor can accompany the team, as it provides better protection and care for the players.'
Additionally, regarding a recent controversy in the Taekwondo selection trials for the Nagoya Asian Games, where Chang Jui-en, who won a gold medal in the women's 62kg category at the Asian Championships, was deemed ineligible by the selection committee to participate in the 67kg category final trials, Li Yang suggested that the selection regulations could be made clearer and more specific to avoid similar disputes in the future. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150604
The Taiwan women's football team has already flown to Guam to prepare for the EAFF qualifiers. However, the Taiwan Women's Football Players' Union revealed that they only realized at the airport that there was no 'team doctor' with the delegation. They stated it was hard to imagine the pressure and risk players would face in a foreign country with a different language without a team doctor for immediate medical attention.
The Chinese Taipei Football Association responded via a statement, explaining that due to competition regulations, each team can only register seven staff members. To ensure complete combat effectiveness, they had to adopt the most streamlined and efficient personnel configuration. They also stated they had been in close communication with the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF), confirming that local professional doctors would be assigned on match days to fully support the team's medical needs.
In response, Minister Li Yang, speaking to the media before entering the Legislative Yuan, mentioned that from the Ministry of Sports' standpoint, for all subsequent international competitions, they hope the CTFA will first understand the needs of the union and players before assigning staff. He emphasized that having a team doctor makes a significant difference, stating, 'We certainly hope the team doctor can accompany the team, as it provides better protection and care for the players.'
Additionally, regarding a recent controversy in the Taekwondo selection trials for the Nagoya Asian Games, where Chang Jui-en, who won a gold medal in the women's 62kg category at the Asian Championships, was deemed ineligible by the selection committee to participate in the 67kg category final trials, Li Yang suggested that the selection regulations could be made clearer and more specific to avoid similar disputes in the future. (Editor: Chang Ming-kun) 1150604