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Korean flags burned as Taiwan rages over Asian Games incident

19 November 2010 00:24 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Taiwan has rallied behind a taekwondo athlete who was controversially disqualified at the Asian Games in China, setting up Internet support groups and even burning South Korean flags, APA reports quoting CNN.
The island’s ruling administration was also criticized for its response to the incident, which saw Yang Shu-chun disqualified while leading during a match in the women’s 49-kilogram category in Guangzhou on Tuesday.
The Asian Taekwondo Union released a statement accusing gold-medal hopeful Yang of a "shocking act of deception," claiming that she had illegally added two extra sensors to the heel of her socks to help score more points.
The ATU rejected an appeal from the Taiwan team and subsequently banned Yang and the two coaches involved pending a hearing by the martial art’s world ruling body.
Local politicians from the People First Party burned South Korean flags outside Taiwan’s Sports Affairs Council in the capital on Thursday, the Taipei Times reported, in protest against World Taekwondo Federation secretary-general Yang Jin-suk.
We think that it is regrettable that frontline officials haven’t been speaking strongly enough about this incident.
They also smashed imported products on the floor before police intervened, the newspaper said.
Politicians from both the Democratic Progressive Party and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) backed the 25-year-old in separate press conferences, the Taipei Times reported.
"Every signature symbolizes the gold medal awarded by the Taiwanese public to Yang," the KMT’s Lin Yi-shih said of a campaign in support of the athlete.
The DPP criticized Taiwan’s Sports Affairs Council -- which on Wednesday threatened to take the matter to an international court -- for failing to stand up for Yang, despite its members being present in China.
"A large number of officials attended the Games, but all they have done so far is appear at and partake in the ceremonies when our athletes win. When Yang was disqualified, what did they do? Nothing," legislator Chiu Yi-ying said.
DPP chairperson Tsai Ing-wen added in an online statement: "[This government], especially on sovereignty issues, has always deferred to China and hasn’t emphasized our attitudes enough.
"As a result, we think that it is regrettable that frontline officials haven’t been speaking strongly enough about this incident."
Fan pages backing Yang on social networking website Facebook received more than 200,000 responses, according to the Taipei-based Central News Agency.
And more than 1,100 people have pledged to turn up when Yang returns to Taiwan on Sunday, the Taipei Times said.
Yang, 25, again insisted she was innocent, CNA reported on Thursday.
"I entered the competition area after the official inspecting my electronic footwear gave his approval in a pre-game inspection," she said.
Meanwhile, China extended its lead in the medal table at the halfway stage of the 16th staging of the four-yearly Asian Games on Thursday.
Its athletes claimed a further 12 gold medals on day six for 109 in total and 203 medals overall.
South Korea added eight golds to be second with 37, while Japan collected four more to stay third on 21.
North Korea and Iran remained on five golds, while Taiwan was joined on four by Kazakhstan and Hong Kong.