Ace golfer calls for gov't to give golf a fair shot

Tseng, third on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) money list in 2008, said in a written statement, tinged with anger, that her heart aches because of the government's neglect.

She said she and others have secured the rights to sponsor a LPGA tournament in Taiwan, and have asked the government sponsor the event.

But she said she has received a cold shoulder from the government, who said it does not have the money.

She said she has emailed President Ma Ying-jeou asking for support, but has not received any reply.

"This demonstrates the government's neglect for golf," said Tseng in the statement.

She urged authorities to attach the same level of importance to golf as it gives to baseball, basketball and billiards.

Her criticism adds fuel to recent embarrassing developments in the sports that Tseng said Taiwan attaches great importance to.

Taiwan's national team lost two straight games to crash out of the World Baseball Classic tournament earlier this week.

Wu Chia-ching, former world 9-ball champion, is considering an offer of about NT$4.65 million per year to move to Singapore and represent it in international competitions.

Tseng's father said the ace golfer is also considering moving to other countries.

The senior Tseng said China has made her an offer, which she tends not to accept it because of "political reasons."

He said there are other "friendly countries" that have also made offers.

"If Taiwan really has no interest in golf, we will change our nationality," said the father.

The golfer's reproach is directed at not just the government neglect for golf, but also at its empty promise to develop sports in general.

She said that Premier Liu Chao-shiuan was reportedly "furious" after Taiwan lost to China in the World Baseball Classic and ordered the Cabinet's Sports Affairs Council (SAC) to "revitalize" baseball, basketball and billiards.

"Former President Chen Shui-bian made a similar pledge eight years ago to revitalize soccer. The results?" she questioned.

"Our government is notorious for applying stopgap and piecemeal solutions, but not even these have worked," Tseng said in the statement.

She said the public outcry is forcing the government to spend big revitalizing those three sports.

"What about golf? Does it deserve to be left out simply because the premier didn't mention it?" she said.

In response to Tseng's criticism, the Presidential Office claimed that President Ma did reply to the golfer's email that requested funding for the LPGA event.

Government Information Office Director-General Su Jun-pin also said that the government needs to provide an excellent training environment and big cash subsidies to keep top-notch athletes at home.

"We must try hard to retain them and that's what we are going to do," Su reiterated.

But according to Tseng's father, she first asked for a funding of US$6 million for the golf event during a meeting with the president, who responded by saying that such a big sum could be used to sponsor more than a dozen road runs.

Ma, who is famous for his love for jogging, didn't comment, the father said.

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