Ministry of Sports Hosted 2026 ASPN Global Forum Focus on Sports Equality and Innovation
The Ministry of Sports (MOS) held the “2026 APEC Sports Policy Network (ASPN) Global Forum” on March 26 under the theme “Sports Equality and Innovation”. Opinion leaders from both domestic and international communities attended, with 10 speakers from 5 countries and nearly 100 sports professionals participating. Deputy Minister of the MOS, Cheng Shih-Chung attended the forum and stated that the MOS will continue to strengthen exchanges with partner economies through the ASPN platform and promote sports diplomacy by using Taiwan’s strengths in sports technology.
The ASPN Roundtable meeting was held in the morning, attended by Ms. Miyuki Muramoto, Program Director of the APEC Secretariat’s Human Resources Development Working Group, along with representatives from 8 APEC economies, including Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan. The participating economies shared a wide range of initiatives and best practices. For example, the Australian Sports Commission discussed how AI technology is being integrated into the sports industry to enhance event experiences and training. The Sports Authority of Thailand introduced a youth football development program jointly organized with Germany’s Bundesliga. Sport Singapore shared how athletes and event volunteers are cultivated through various national and international sporting events. Indonesia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports presented the outcomes of its badminton talent development program. In addition to sharing the application information on Taiwan’s 3rd batch Sports Tech Accelerator Program, which will begin in April, Taiwan also promoted the upcoming International Children’s Games to be held in Hualien this August. Participating economies were encouraged to help promote the event, inviting more cities to Taiwan to foster friendship through sports and experience the natural beauty and cultural richness of Hualien.
In the afternoon, the ASPN Forum was held, focusing on the integration of sports equality and innovation. Speakers included Chen Yi-An, Chair of the Gender Equality Committee of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee; Lisa Hsu, Secretary-general of Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee; Ambassador-at-Large Sophiyah Liu, Ying Chiang from Chihlee University of Technology and Legislator Huang Jie, Chair of the legislature’s Women's Sports Diplomacy Promotion Committee, who shared insights and experiences on the influence of women in sports. Iris Córdoba, Managing Director of the Microsoft Global Sports Innovation Center (GSIC), discussed how technology is transforming events and reshaping the global sports industry. Hidenori Suzuki, Chairman & President of the Japan Powerchair Football Association, energetically promoted the Powerchair Football World Cup. Startup teams from Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan also engaged in discussions on how sports technology is reshaping training and competitions.
The APEC Sports Policy Network was initiated by Taiwan in 2016, aiming to use Taiwan’s advantages in sports technology and establish a leading role in promoting sports technology within the APEC region. Since the establishment of the MOS, ASPN has been used to expand diverse channels for sports diplomacy and create more opportunities for collaboration with APEC economies through sports innovation. The MOS plans to continue these efforts, enhancing a Taiwan-centered sports diplomacy network through the ASPN platform and displaying the dynamism of Taiwan’s sports innovation to the world.