TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平), a Major League Baseball (MLB) star from Japan, congratulated Taiwan on Sunday (Nov. 25) for clinching a historic victory over Japan, winning 4-0 in the WBSC Premier 12 championship game.
Shohei Ohtani congratulated Taiwan by sharing the official World Baseball Softball Confederation's (WBSC) post on Instagram. The post featured a photo of Taiwan's players saluting, with the words "Congratulations! Global Champions" in gold lettering.
The Tokyo Dome's official website also congratulated with the message: "Congratulations! Chinese Taipei!" (恭喜台灣!) Moreover, the Czech Baseball Association praised Taiwan's performance in a social media post on X, accompanied by the Republic of China (ROC, 中華民國) flag.
Meanwhile, Cuba's national sports website, BaseballdeCuba, acknowledged Taiwan's historic achievement and displayed the ROC flag in a pregame post on X. This triumph marked Taiwan's first world-class baseball title and ended Japan's 27-game winning streak in international competitions, a significant milestone in Taiwanese baseball history.
During the game, Taiwanese player Lyle Lin (林家正) initiated the scoring in the fifth inning with a solo home run, followed by captain Chen Chieh-hsien's (陳傑憲) three-run homer. Pitchers Lin Yu-min (林昱珉) and Chang I (張奕) effectively shut down Japan's offense, securing Taiwan's victory.
This victory has resonated internationally, with Taiwan's achievement receiving widespread recognition. As Taiwan celebrates this landmark win, the global baseball community anticipates how this success will influence the sport's future in Taiwan and beyond.