TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's national basketball governing body, the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CTBA, 中華籃球協會), imposed a severe three-year ban on Taiwan Beer basketball team (台灣啤酒籃球隊) coach Ha Hsiao-yuan (哈孝遠) on Friday (April 11), following a contentious on-court incident last week. Officials pointed to Ha's defiant demeanor and blatant disrespect toward game officials during a recent Super Basketball League (SBL, 超級籃球聯賽), Taiwan's premier professional basketball competition, matchup against rival team Changhua Pauian BLL (彰化璞園柏力力).
The confrontation escalated when Ha vehemently disputed a referee's decision and subsequently orchestrated a team walkout in protest. When the players failed to return to the court within the required timeframe, officials declared the game forfeited to their opponents. The unprecedented protest ignited intense public discussion across Taiwan's sports community. Taiwan Beer management responded by implementing their own disciplinary measures against Ha, including a substantial two-month salary deduction and immediate suspension for the remainder of the regular season. The organization also released a formal apology and pledged to strengthen their internal disciplinary protocols.
The CTBA's disciplinary committee, acting in accordance with their comprehensive "Professional League, Team, Player, Staff, Agent, and Agency Disciplinary Measures" (中華民國籃球協會職業聯盟、球隊暨球員、職員、經紀人與經紀公司懲處辦法), delivered a sweeping punishment against Ha. The sanctions prohibit him from holding any position within the association, the professional league, or any affiliated team until April 7, 2028. Officials further revoked his current season registration credentials and banned him from even entering SBL venues as a spectator.
The disciplinary action extended to assistant coaches Shang Wei-fan (尚韋帆) and Lin Chieh-ho (林玠禾), who received formal written reprimands for their own misconduct during the heated contest, specifically for kicking chairs in frustration. League officials acknowledged that while their behavior violated association standards, the committee treated the incident as a first-time offense for both coaches. The association issued a stern warning that any future violations would trigger more severe consequences, adding in their official statement, "If dissatisfied with this disciplinary action, an appeal may be filed with the Appeals Review Committee" (如果不服本處分，可向申訴評議委員會提起申訴). ★