FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 04, 2002

ISF TAKES ACTION AGAINST HEAD OF CHINESE
TAIPEI DELEGATION FOR BANNED FLAG
ISF President Also Issues Reprimand to
Softball Canada & WWC Organizing Committee

SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN - International Softball Federation President Don Porter has announced action taken today in response to incidents surrounding two playoff games involving a banned flag, here at the X Women's World Championship yesterday.

Prior to Saturday afternoon's Chinese Taipei vs. Australia game, a Chinese Taipei athlete carried a banned flag out onto the field. Then, following the last game of the night, China vs. Chinese Taipei, the same flag was also brought on the field past the Team China dugout by a fan who jumped onto the field after Taipei won 6-5.

The flag, which has been a controversy for many years between China and Taiwan, has been banned by the International Olympic Committee, as well as by the ISF at events sanctioned by the ISF. In 1979, a flag different from the one demonstrated last night was approved by the IOC to allow Taiwan to continue in the Olympic Games.

Mr. Porter, expressing his displeasure and noting that "they have been warned repeatedly in the past," met with the ISF Executive Council this morning, at which time he appointed a Championship Tribunal to investigate the incident, as provided for in Article 7.16 of the ISF Technical and Procedural Code (see ISF rulebook, page 56). That commission consisted of ISF Secretary General Andy Loechner, ISF At-Large Vice President/Latin America Meliton Sanchez, ISF Vice President/Oceania Bob Leveloff, and ISF 1st Vice President Clovis Lodewijks, who served as chairman.

A hearing was conducted with the Head of Delegation for Chinese Taipei's national team, Hsieh (Steeve) Ching-Wen and also with the president of the Chinese Taipei Softball Federation, Steven Huang, who is also one of two ISF Vice Presidents/Asia.

Regarding the incident involving the player (prior to the game versus Australia), the decision was made to suspend the Head of Delegation, Mr. Ching-Wen, for the rest of this championship for allowing an unofficial flag to be carried in by a Chinese Taipei player. He may not participate or be in the dugout during either of today's games or participate in Closing Ceremonies. Furthermore, he has also been put on probation for two years. If there is a reoccurrence, more severe action will be taken at that time.

Also, in response to the second situation (involving the fan), the Championship Tribunal met with Kevin Quinn, President of Softball Canada, and Glenn Reeve, Chairman of the Organizing Committee. The ISF is now sending a letter to Softball Canada indicating that they strongly disapprove of this action and the lack of security, which allowed this to happen.

The ISF has also reprimanded the Women's World Championship Organizing Committee. Mr. Reeve has acknowledged that security was lacking and agreed with the ISF's decisions, and has indicated that they will send a letter of apology to the Chinese Softball Federation.

The International Softball Federation, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2002, is the governing body of softball internationally as recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF). The ISF organizes and conducts world championship competition in women's and men's fast pitch, junior women's and men's fast pitch, women's, men's, and coed slow pitch, and women's and men's modified pitch. Softball (women's fast pitch) made its Olympic debut at the 1996 Games in Atlanta. There are 125 affiliated countries in the ISF and over 40 million participants in the sport worldwide.

For more information, please contact ISF Director of Communications Bruce Wawrzyniak at brucew@internationalsoftball.com or (813) 864-0100, ext. 229.