Sports Minister Lee Yang Emphasizes Discipline, Hopes to Institutionalize Sports Policies [Interview]
Sports Minister Lee Yang stressed that 'discipline' and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are essential for sports administration, citing the NBA's San Antonio Spurs as his model for establishing a robust, system-driven sports policy.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 09:55
- 🔍 Collected: April 22, 2026 at 10:01 (6 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 10:09 (7 min after Collected)
(CNA reporter Li Chien-chung, Taipei, 22nd) It takes many conditions for an athlete to achieve greatness, but to Sports Minister Lee Yang, discipline is probably the most indispensable requirement. It is just like his favorite NBA team, the San Antonio Spurs—their games might not always be the most exciting to watch, but they win.
On the day Minister of Sports Lee Yang was exclusively interviewed by the Central News Agency, there was a book on his desk titled "Tim Duncan and the Spurs Dynasty." He laughed and said he actually really enjoys watching the American professional basketball league, the NBA, "and I especially like teams like the Spurs that emphasize discipline."
On September 9 last year, Lee Yang became Taiwan's first Minister of Sports, and his life's track switched from the badminton court to the political arena. Over the past seven months, he has arrived at his office before 7 AM every day and hasn't left until past 9 PM. With endless official documents to read and countless problems to solve, his only hope is to deliver a report card that satisfies the majority.
On the day of the interview, a group of people poured into the minister's office. While everyone was still exchanging pleasantries and the photographers were busy setting up their equipment, Lee Yang was muttering to himself, "Then I'll just look at some more documents." He isn't a "master of time management"; he just has so much he wants to do that he has grown accustomed to fitting three days' worth of work into one.
At just 30 years old, Lee Yang has to manage a second-level central government agency. He frankly admitted that since taking office, he has been constantly learning. His office is as sparse as if he just moved in; the most abundant decorations are sports-related memorabilia. Meanwhile, the official documents on his desk come and go, back and forth, as if they never diminish.
After seven months in office, many people say the "honeymoon period is over" and are eager to know what exactly he has accomplished. Lee Yang's staff, however, laughed and said, "The boss is quite interesting. Most people are in a hurry to publicly announce what they've done, but he always feels he has to finish everything before he can tell the outside world. As a result, it makes it look as if he hasn't done anything at all."
A Leo, Lee Yang is strong-willed and opinionated. He is never afraid of others arguing with him, and his favorite catchphrase is, "Convince me!"
On the long table in the minister's office sat the book "Tim Duncan and the Spurs Dynasty." He smiled and said it was sent by the author, and he flips through it whenever he has free time because the Spurs are his favorite NBA team.
"Don't you think the Spurs and the Heat are very similar? I like both of these teams very much. They always heavily value discipline and systems. Every player must adapt to the team upon joining, rather than the team adapting to the player." As Lee Yang explained his reasons for liking them, he didn't forget to promote his philosophy: "Although their games might be less flashy, they are constant winners. There must be a reason why the Spurs have won so many championships."
This ideology is also reflected in Lee Yang's philosophy on governance and handling affairs. "It's just like how we do things. As long as the system is set and the SOP is established, everyone is treated the same, and there will be no problems."
Throughout the interview, Lee Yang repeatedly emphasized institutionalization. It wasn't until he transitioned from being an athlete for over a decade to becoming an administrator that he realized there were so many problems to solve. But he has little fear; he always believes that if something is the right thing to do, it must be done.
Originally a sports star with an aura of idol worship, Lee Yang has not forgotten his original intention after becoming the Sports Minister. Even though he is buried under mountains of official duties every day, the word "sports" is still deeply rooted in his heart. Even when planning to visit an Asian Games delegation, he didn't forget to invite reporters, saying, "Bring your running shoes, let's go for a morning run together." (Editor: Lung Po-an)
On the day Minister of Sports Lee Yang was exclusively interviewed by the Central News Agency, there was a book on his desk titled "Tim Duncan and the Spurs Dynasty." He laughed and said he actually really enjoys watching the American professional basketball league, the NBA, "and I especially like teams like the Spurs that emphasize discipline."
On September 9 last year, Lee Yang became Taiwan's first Minister of Sports, and his life's track switched from the badminton court to the political arena. Over the past seven months, he has arrived at his office before 7 AM every day and hasn't left until past 9 PM. With endless official documents to read and countless problems to solve, his only hope is to deliver a report card that satisfies the majority.
On the day of the interview, a group of people poured into the minister's office. While everyone was still exchanging pleasantries and the photographers were busy setting up their equipment, Lee Yang was muttering to himself, "Then I'll just look at some more documents." He isn't a "master of time management"; he just has so much he wants to do that he has grown accustomed to fitting three days' worth of work into one.
At just 30 years old, Lee Yang has to manage a second-level central government agency. He frankly admitted that since taking office, he has been constantly learning. His office is as sparse as if he just moved in; the most abundant decorations are sports-related memorabilia. Meanwhile, the official documents on his desk come and go, back and forth, as if they never diminish.
After seven months in office, many people say the "honeymoon period is over" and are eager to know what exactly he has accomplished. Lee Yang's staff, however, laughed and said, "The boss is quite interesting. Most people are in a hurry to publicly announce what they've done, but he always feels he has to finish everything before he can tell the outside world. As a result, it makes it look as if he hasn't done anything at all."
A Leo, Lee Yang is strong-willed and opinionated. He is never afraid of others arguing with him, and his favorite catchphrase is, "Convince me!"
On the long table in the minister's office sat the book "Tim Duncan and the Spurs Dynasty." He smiled and said it was sent by the author, and he flips through it whenever he has free time because the Spurs are his favorite NBA team.
"Don't you think the Spurs and the Heat are very similar? I like both of these teams very much. They always heavily value discipline and systems. Every player must adapt to the team upon joining, rather than the team adapting to the player." As Lee Yang explained his reasons for liking them, he didn't forget to promote his philosophy: "Although their games might be less flashy, they are constant winners. There must be a reason why the Spurs have won so many championships."
This ideology is also reflected in Lee Yang's philosophy on governance and handling affairs. "It's just like how we do things. As long as the system is set and the SOP is established, everyone is treated the same, and there will be no problems."
Throughout the interview, Lee Yang repeatedly emphasized institutionalization. It wasn't until he transitioned from being an athlete for over a decade to becoming an administrator that he realized there were so many problems to solve. But he has little fear; he always believes that if something is the right thing to do, it must be done.
Originally a sports star with an aura of idol worship, Lee Yang has not forgotten his original intention after becoming the Sports Minister. Even though he is buried under mountains of official duties every day, the word "sports" is still deeply rooted in his heart. Even when planning to visit an Asian Games delegation, he didn't forget to invite reporters, saying, "Bring your running shoes, let's go for a morning run together." (Editor: Lung Po-an)