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Updated Wednesday, September 1, 2010 11:38 am TWN, CNA

Fans oppose scrapping Zhongshan soccer ground

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan's soccer community voiced its opposition yesterday to a plan by the Taipei City government to convert the country's only dedicated soccer stadium into a permanent exhibition hall after the conclusion of the Taipei International Flora Exposition.

Taipei City Councilor Wu Su-yao and representatives of local soccer groups said at a press conference that the city government should keep its promise to restore the stadium to its original use after the Flora Expo, to be held between Nov. 6, 2010 and April 25, 2011.

They said Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin promised two years ago that the stadium would be closed only “temporarily” to serve as the venue for indoor floral design competitions and special exhibits during the Flora Expo.

But now the city government and the Ministry of Economic Affairs are planning to permanently convert the stadium and the surrounding area into a display center for top quality products from Taiwan, Wu said.

“It is really sad for soccer fans that the Zhongshan Soccer Stadium will no longer exist and function as a sports facility because of the Flora Expo,” said Chang Yao-min, a former soccer player who now coaches a soccer team for the Shilin Sports Federation.

Kuo Cheng-deng, founder of the Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TVGH) Football Association, also stressed that the Zhongshan Soccer Stadium is the only stadium in the country designed for soccer and approved by FIFA for international matches.

“If it is demolished, soccer matches will have to be held at non soccer-specific stadiums, such as the Kaohsiung Stadium or Taipei Stadium,” Kuo said. “Soccer will therefore have to share limited space with other sports,” he added.

The Taipei City government responded that it has planned some supplementary measures to deal with the issue.

Wang San-chung, chief secretary of the Department of Economic Development under the city government, said that more soccer fields will be built for the city's schools with soccer teams.

He also suggested using Yin Feng Sports Park, Bailing Sports Park, and Taipei Stadium for soccer matches.

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