Taiwan willling to host Asia Series baseball if Japan drops out

Jun 30, 2009, 14:12 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan is willing to take over hosting the Asia Series baseball games if Japan decides against hosting it, a Taiwan baseball official said Tuesday.

'Since its launch four years ago, Asia Series has become the biggest baseball event for Taiwanese, Japanese, South Korean and Chinese baseball teams and is very popular with Asian baseball fans. We should not abandon it,' the Central News Agency (CNA) quoted Chao Shou-po, chairman of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), as saying.

'Japan has not made the decision (about pulling out of hosting the event) yet. But I have already talked with baseball teams and government agencies about the possibility of Taiwan's taking over the hosting of it,' he said.

CPBL secretary-general Lee Wen-pin will fly to Japan next week to meet with Japanese baseball officials regarding the fate of the Asia Series, CNA said.

To keep Asia Series going, the CPBL will make three suggestions: Japan continues to host it, but participating teams pay for their own transport and accommodation; Taiwan takes over hosting it; participating countries take turns to host it.

The Asia Series, a competition between Asian professional baseball teams, was launched in 2005 with the top team from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China participating.

The tournament is held in October or November at the Tokyo Dome and Japan has won the event each year since its launch in 2005.

Japan's Yumiuri Shimbun newspaper, financier of the Yumiuri Giants, sponsors Asia Series by donating 100 million Japanese Yen (100,000 dollars) as the total prize money for each year's games.