Remember this is alledgedly because no formal investigation has been done but what evidence that has come up is incriminating. It didn't happen in any pro, college or even high school sports but in World Little League Baseball of all things and this is supposed to be for the kids run in an honest way.
In 1997 Japan caught Taiwan using ineligible players and Taiwan didn't participate until 2003 and they haven't done too good since. In the Little League finals the top 8 foreign teams play elimination games as do the top USA teams with the final winners advancing to the championship.
This could even be worse cheating than in the Tour de France with drug cheaters so hang onto your hats if you want to read farther.
The question is did Taiwan cheat in earlier years. The evidence indicates yes since some of their own players have admitted that they used other student's ids to get on the team. The teams are restricted to come from a certain area as well as age limitations. This is to eliminate having national teams. For example people on the Dayton, Ohio all star team have to live in or close to the City of Dayton. You can't have anyone that lives in New York on the team. The id fraud indicates that they were over age or not from the area or possible both. It has also been rumored that they prepared all year long which is also against the rules.
From 1969 to 1974 Taiwan won 5 of the 6 championships. (Remember when I write Taiwan I mean cities located in Taiwan. Since the evidence indicates it was really an all star team with some overage players I will just use Taiwan here.) This had never been done before and this was a red flag that investigations should have been made. But this suspicion didn't result in any action by the officials until Japan caught them in 1997. Since then it seems they have been doing a better job of investigations thank goodness. Another red flag was not only did they win but in many of their games it was not even close. In fact the fans booed them in 1974 because of the suspecions.
Taiwan won 17 of the champions over 27 years from 1969 to 1996 and were runner ups in 4 years. With information that has come out it indicates that dynasties should be checked out carefully.
I don't like to be critical of Taiwan but with all this circumstancial evidence it does indicate cheating was going on. Remember that USA teams lost to them 17 times and one wonders how many of them would have been world champions if Taiwan had been honest. I look at teams that lost to them such as Springs, Texas, Cranston, RI, San Ramon Valley, CA, Altamonte Springs, FL, etc and how these young boys lost the chance of a lifetime because someone cheated. It also makes one wonder if the same situation exists for other foreign teams that were beat out by Taiwan and denied their chance in the championship game.
This is a dark chapter in sports history and even though the Tour de France and other sports have suffered from cheating this one involved injustices agains other teams and countries and worse yet against young boys dashing their chance of a rare opportunity. A shame indeed.
In 1997 Japan caught Taiwan using ineligible players and Taiwan didn't participate until 2003 and they haven't done too good since. In the Little League finals the top 8 foreign teams play elimination games as do the top USA teams with the final winners advancing to the championship.
This could even be worse cheating than in the Tour de France with drug cheaters so hang onto your hats if you want to read farther.
The question is did Taiwan cheat in earlier years. The evidence indicates yes since some of their own players have admitted that they used other student's ids to get on the team. The teams are restricted to come from a certain area as well as age limitations. This is to eliminate having national teams. For example people on the Dayton, Ohio all star team have to live in or close to the City of Dayton. You can't have anyone that lives in New York on the team. The id fraud indicates that they were over age or not from the area or possible both. It has also been rumored that they prepared all year long which is also against the rules.
From 1969 to 1974 Taiwan won 5 of the 6 championships. (Remember when I write Taiwan I mean cities located in Taiwan. Since the evidence indicates it was really an all star team with some overage players I will just use Taiwan here.) This had never been done before and this was a red flag that investigations should have been made. But this suspicion didn't result in any action by the officials until Japan caught them in 1997. Since then it seems they have been doing a better job of investigations thank goodness. Another red flag was not only did they win but in many of their games it was not even close. In fact the fans booed them in 1974 because of the suspecions.
Taiwan won 17 of the champions over 27 years from 1969 to 1996 and were runner ups in 4 years. With information that has come out it indicates that dynasties should be checked out carefully.
I don't like to be critical of Taiwan but with all this circumstancial evidence it does indicate cheating was going on. Remember that USA teams lost to them 17 times and one wonders how many of them would have been world champions if Taiwan had been honest. I look at teams that lost to them such as Springs, Texas, Cranston, RI, San Ramon Valley, CA, Altamonte Springs, FL, etc and how these young boys lost the chance of a lifetime because someone cheated. It also makes one wonder if the same situation exists for other foreign teams that were beat out by Taiwan and denied their chance in the championship game.
This is a dark chapter in sports history and even though the Tour de France and other sports have suffered from cheating this one involved injustices agains other teams and countries and worse yet against young boys dashing their chance of a rare opportunity. A shame indeed.
