TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Sports Minister Lee Yang (李洋) outlined plans to bid for the 2033 World Games (2033年世界運動會) during his Legislative Yuan (立法院), Taiwan's parliament, debut Wednesday (Nov. 26). Lee presented the Ministry of Sports' (運動部) direction to the Education and Culture Committee (教育文化委員會), a legislative committee, after preparing extensively for the session. He had gone to bed at 9 p.m. Tuesday night and rose at 5 a.m. Wednesday to present the ministry's goals clearly.
Lee, who has been in office for nearly three months, said he established a minister's mailbox to gather suggestions directly from athletes nationwide. He expressed his hope to promote sports nationwide and enhance the sporting environment across Taiwan for all participants. Lee pointed out that while the Athletes' Committee (運動員委員會), an advisory body, currently focuses on athletes, future plans will extend support to coaches, trainers, and physical therapists.
Lee outlined five major policies in his business report to the legislative committee, including enhancing Taiwan's capability to host international events and bidding for the 2033 World Games. Some cities have already expressed interest in hosting the major sporting event, Lee said during his presentation. Plans are underway to host the World University Games (世界大學運動會) again to establish Taiwan as a prominent international brand in sports events.
Lee addressed the Chinese Professional Baseball League's (CPB, 中國棒球城市聯賽), a China-based professional league, announcement of a 2026 launch and the possibility of Taiwanese players joining the competition. He stated that the ministry absolutely respects the players' decisions regarding their career choices and professional opportunities. Lee mentioned plans to assist Taiwan's professional leagues in attracting more foreign talent while retaining local players through improved support systems. ◼