TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's national Baseball5 team departed for Hong Kong on Wednesday (March 25) to compete in the 2026 Asian Cup tournament, with the top three finishers securing spots in December's World Cup in Puerto Rico. Head coach Feng Wei-kuo (馮韋國), who led Taiwan to second place in both the U18 Asian Cup and U18 World Cup Baseball5 tournaments last year, leads the 10-player squad. The tournament begins Friday with nine teams from across Asia competing for three World Cup berths.
Taiwan will compete in Group C alongside Saudi Arabia and Vietnam in the preliminary round starting Friday at the Hong Kong venue. Nine teams are participating in the tournament, divided into three groups across the regional Baseball5 championship competition. Hosts Hong Kong, South Korea, and Bangladesh comprise Group A, while Japan, Thailand, and Singapore form Group B, setting up potential matchups in later rounds.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Round, with the top four teams from this stage moving on to the finals. Organizers expect to crown the Asian Cup champion on Monday (March 31) at the conclusion of the week-long tournament in Hong Kong. The tournament's top three finishers will secure spots in the World Cup's Baseball5 tournament, scheduled for December in Puerto Rico, representing Asia on the global stage.
Taiwan's 10-player squad will face Vietnam in their opening match Friday and will meet Saudi Arabia the following day in group play. Coach Feng Wei-kuo hopes to build on last year's success when he led Taiwan's youth teams to runner-up finishes in both major tournaments. The team aims to secure one of the three World Cup qualification spots available through the Asian Cup competition.