- Title: Taiwanese show fervent patriotism ahead of WBC opener in Tokyo
- Date: 5th March 2026
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (MARCH 5, 2026) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TAIWANESE FANS OF TEAM CHINESE TAIPEI HOLDING TAIWAN FLAG AND PLACARDS READING (Chinese): “GO TAIWAN” AND CHANTING (English): “TEAM TAIWAN!” FANS CHANTING (Mandarin): “GO TAIWAN!” YOUNG FAN PUTTING DOWN PLACARD TAIWANESE FANS HANDING OUT FLAGS READING (English): “TEAM TAIWAN” AND CHANTING (Mandarin): “GO TAIWAN!” FEMALE FAN
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Chinese Taipei australia fans game tokyo wbc world baseball classic
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Baseball,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001106805032026RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of baseball fans clad in red, white and blue descended upon the monolithic Tokyo Dome stadium on a windy Thursday (March 5).
As self-proclaimed “fan activists” began distributing flags bearing the text “Team Taiwan”, dozens chanted across the venue.
This isn’t just any ordinary display of nationalist baseball fandom ahead of Taiwan’s first game of the World Baseball Classic (WBC), but as fans explained, it's a proud rejection of the only name that the Taiwanese team is allowed to compete under “Chinese Taipei."
"Of course we hope to compete under the name Taiwan, so that in the future there will no longer be a ‘Chinese Taipei’ anymore — it will just be Taiwan,” said Lin Tzu-hui, covered head to toe in Taiwan flag stickers.
Chinese Taipei’s first Pool C game on Thursday puts them up against Australia. After their 2024 victory over Japan in which they snagged the Premier 12 gold medal, Taiwanese fans are hoping their team makes it all the way to the WBC finals in Miami.
Fellow baseball fan Chang Chi-kai said that even after planning for the WBC one year in advance, it was still difficult to book tickets.
"We’ve already been planning to come here to watch the games for a year now. Since last year, we started booking hotels, then game tickets, and asked all our friends to help us grab tickets. It was really hard to get them, so we’re super excited for today’s first game,” said 46-year-old Chang, clutching a Taiwan flag.
Also in Tokyo's Pool C are Australia, Czech Republic and South Korea - a side depleted by injuries, and who haven't progressed beyond the WBC first round since their visit to the final 2009.
Taiwan is slated to face off against Japan on Friday (March 6)—a match that has fans like 48-year-old Wu Ji-rung brimming with anticipation.
“Especially after (the 2024) games, I feel like they had a huge, huge impact on all of Taiwan. So that’s why everyone is so excited and so passionate, using the name ‘Taiwan’ to refer to our team, because we all feel very proud of Taiwan and proud to call ourselves Taiwanese,” said Wu.
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