TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA, 中華民國足球協會), Taiwan's national soccer governing body, revoked coach Chou Tai-ying's (周台英) professional license Wednesday (July 23) and imposed a lifetime coaching ban. The association's disciplinary committee found Chou guilty of systematic bullying through severe misconduct including forced blood tests, threats to withhold graduation credits, and deliberate isolation of specific players. The unprecedented punishment reflects growing scrutiny of coaching abuse in Taiwan's sports programs.
The disciplinary committee's lifetime ban followed mounting public pressure and institutional failures to address the abuse. National Taiwan Normal University president Wu Cheng-chih (吳正己) and Chou issued public apologies last Saturday, but the gestures failed to quell widespread outrage over the coaching scandal. The Ministry of Education's (MOE, 教育部) Sports Administration (體育署) Taiwan's sports oversight agency formally notified the football association last Thursday, triggering the investigation that ultimately confirmed Chou's bullying behavior.
The disciplinary committee emphasized Chou's systematic exploitation of the inherent power imbalance between coach and student-athletes, compelling players to participate in harmful experiments that damaged their physical and psychological well-being. Legislator Chen Pei-yu (陳培瑜) first exposed the blood test scandal in November 2024, publicly accusing Chou of coercing players into participation through threats of withholding crucial academic credits needed for graduation. The revelations sparked nationwide debate about athlete protection and coaching ethics in Taiwan's educational sports programs. ◼