Yu Shan Cup Youth Baseball Tournament Kicks Off on 11th; Matsuzaka Daisuke Shares Experience

(Central News Agency reporter Xie Jingwen, New Taipei City, 8th) The Yu Shan Cup youth baseball tournament will begin on the 11th. Eighteen county and city representative teams will compete for the championship, and the winning team will earn the right to organize and represent Taiwan at the Asian Youth Baseball Championship. Daisuke Matsuzaka attended the opening ceremony today, sharing his high school experiences and expressing his hope to interview Taiwanese players in the future as a commentator or journalist.

The Yu Shan Cup youth baseball tournament is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It serves as the national selection tournament for Taiwan's youth national baseball team. This year's competition will be held from the 11th to the 20th at the Sanchong Baseball Stadium and Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City, and the Pingzhen Baseball Stadium in Taoyuan City. A total of 18 county and city representative teams will participate. The tournament is not only a chance to earn a spot on the national youth team but also a stepping stone to a professional baseball career through high-intensity competition.

Today's opening ceremony specially invited the "Heisei Monster" Daisuke Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka began his speech with a self-introduction in Chinese: "Hello everyone, I am Daisuke Matsuzaka." He then congratulated the players selected for the county and city teams, urging them to work hard on behalf of those who were not selected.

Matsuzaka noted that he knows this tournament is the most well-known youth baseball event in Taiwan, where player performances are highly anticipated. He encouraged the players to fully demonstrate their training and hard work during the games.

Matsuzaka set records during his high school years at Japan's Koshien Stadium. He stated that his three years of high school had a significant impact on his subsequent 23-year professional baseball career. Although he won a championship at Koshien, he still has some regrets. He suggested that if he had worked harder, he might have achieved even better results. He encouraged the players, saying, "Your current efforts are not enough; you should work even harder."

Reflecting on his high school career, Matsuzaka said he realized the "importance of preparation." He noted that in Koshien tournaments, a pitcher might need to pitch in many consecutive games, so constant preparation is necessary for future games.

Since retiring as a player, Matsuzaka has primarily worked as a baseball commentator. He encouraged the players in attendance, saying, "I hope that one day, whether in the CPBL, NPB, or MLB, I can interview you as a TV commentator or journalist."

The tournament will be broadcast from the 11th on platforms including Getwin Sport's YouTube channel, ELTA Sports 4, PTS+, VL Sports, 4gTV OTT, and ETTV Movies. The championship game on the 20th will be held at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium, and VL Sports will also join the broadcast. (Editor: Li Hengshan) 1150608