Su Wen-ju's national team dream deferred due to administrative oversight, Basketball Association apologizes for errors

(Central News Agency Reporter Chen Yung-chi Taipei, July 1) The World Cup men's basketball qualifiers are about to begin, but guard Su Wen-ju will be unable to represent Taiwan due to administrative oversights. The Chinese Taipei Basketball Association issued a statement today apologizing and taking full responsibility, vowing to establish a more comprehensive review mechanism in the future.

Taiwan is grouped with China, Japan, and South Korea in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers. After the first two windows, Taiwan is currently at the bottom of the group with a 1-3 record. The third window will see Taiwan visit South Korea on July 3rd and face China on July 6th, as they aim to secure a top-three spot for qualification.

However, Su Wen-ju, a guard selected for the training squad, has lost his eligibility for this stage of official competition because he failed to complete the player eligibility document confirmation and related procedures before the Preliminary Roster deadline. Despite this, he will still travel with the team to South Korea, fully participating in team training, preparations, and team activities, continuing to fight alongside the Taiwanese team.

The Chinese Taipei Basketball Association issued an apology today, stating that upon discovering the oversight, they immediately completed the relevant eligibility documents and submitted a request to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) for a late submission. They also expressed willingness to bear any administrative fines that might arise. However, FIBA officially replied that the preliminary roster submission deadline had passed and exceptions could not be made for individual cases. "The responsibility for this incident lies entirely with the Association."

The Chinese Taipei Basketball Association extends its sincerest apologies to Su Wen-ju and his family. At such an important moment of his first national team selection, administrative procedures were not sufficiently thorough. "Su Wen-ju remains a member of this representative team, and we believe he will have many more opportunities to represent the country in the future."

The Association is already undertaking a comprehensive review of national team player eligibility confirmation, roster submission, and related administrative processes. The Chinese Taipei Basketball Association stated that it will establish a more comprehensive review mechanism to ensure that players selected for the national team in the future will not have their right to represent the country affected by administrative procedures. They will learn from this lesson and continue to improve administrative management. (Editor: Huang Ming-hsi) 1150701

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