September 10, 2019
GIJANG, Korea -- World No. 4 Chinese Taipei surprised four-time defending World Champions USA in the Final of the XXIX World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup® 2019 Sunday night at Gijang-Hyundai Dream Ballpark, setting off a media explosion in Chinese Taipei.
Politician Tsai Ing-wen, the highest elected official in the respective territory, congratulated the team before her millions of followers on Facebook and Twitter: "Proud of these outstanding athletes and the (Chinese Taipei Baseball Association) for their tireless dedication and love for the sport of baseball."
The announcement that Chinese Taipei were the newly crowned U-18 World Champions after their 2-1 victory smashed the record for WBSC's most-liked Facebook post, having registered over 73,000 likes via 2,600 shares at the time of writing, while Tsai's Facebook post generated over 118,000 likes.
"The record engagement, coverage and social media volume of the U-18 Baseball World Cup, which showcases baseball's future superstars, further positions it as one of the top youth world championships in sports," said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. "Congratulations to the players and the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association on this impressive U-18 World Cup win."
The Final was broadcast live across Chinese Taipei by the island's biggest sport's channel, Videoland, while the island's biggest new outlets ran extensive pre-game, in-game and post-game coverage.
A hero's welcome is expected at the airport for the newly crowned World Champions, when the team lands on home soil. Weeks ago, Chinese Taipei also won the U-12 Baseball World Cup.
Meanwhile, the home fans also had plenty to cheer about after Lee Juhyeong homered with one out and a runner on base in the top of the ninth to help Korea came from behind to beat Australia 6-5 and claim the bronze medal.
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