プレミア１２制覇の台湾がパレード、総統も祝福「台湾には野球もある」

【台北ＡＦＰ＝時事】野球の国際大会「プレミア１２」で優勝した台湾代表チームが２６日、台北で盛大な優勝パレードを行った。（写真は、野球の国際大会「プレミア１２」を制覇し、台北でパレードを行う台湾代表チーム）
　東京ドームで行われた２４日の決勝で、台湾は日本を４－０で下して優勝。人口２３００万人の島に歓喜をもたらし、２５日にＦ１６戦闘機４機の出迎えを受けて凱旋（がいせん）していた。
　チームはこの日、胸に台湾と書かれたパーカーを着て軍用ジープやトラックで市内を行進した。ファンが叫び、チアリーダーが踊り、紙吹雪が舞う中で総統府まで向かい、同じパーカーを着た頼清徳総統と蕭美琴副総統に迎えられた。
　台湾では野球人気が非常に高く、プレミア１２初優勝が新聞の一面を飾り、ＳＮＳのチャットグループやオフィスの話題の中心となっている。この日も大勢のファンが沿道で台湾の旗などを振り、オフィスの窓から身を乗り出して選手を見送る人もいた。
　パレードを見物した３０代の男性は「２晩も眠れなかった、それほど興奮しているんだ」と話し、「２０年間試合を見てきたが、台湾のチームが国際大会で優勝する日が来るとは思わなかった」と喜んだ。
　総統府で選手を出迎えた頼総統は、「台湾の存在を世界に示してくれてありがとう」とねぎらい、「台湾は半導体だけではない。台湾には野球もある」と話した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/11/27-16:54）

Fans screamed, cheerleaders danced and confetti cannons exploded as Taiwan's baseball team rode in military vehicles through the capital Taipei on Tuesday following their historic victory in an international tournament.
F-16 fighter jets firing flares escorted the men's team back to Taiwan on Monday, a day after they beat Japan 4-0 in the final of the WBSC Premier12 in Tokyo and sparked jubilation across the island of 23 million people.
Baseball is wildly popular in Taiwan and winning the WBSC Premier12 for the first time has been a focus of newspaper front pages, social media chat groups and office conversations.
After receiving a rapturous welcome at Taipei's international airport on Monday night, the players turned out Tuesday for a street parade in front of thousands of adoring fans waving Taiwanese flags and Team Taiwan signs.
Employees of a bank climbed out of their first-floor office windows to watch the players go past.
I couldn't sleep for two nights, that shows how excited I am, Victor Chai, 30, told AFP as he stood in the crowd.
I've been watching games for 20 years, and I never thought I'd see the day when Taiwan's team would win an international championship.
After playing under the name Chinese Taipei, the team wore black hooded sweaters emblazoned with Taiwan as they stood in the back of military jeeps and trucks.
The parade ended at the Presidential Office Building where the team was greeted by President Lai Ching-te and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim -- wearing the same sweaters as the players.
Thank you for showing Taiwan to the world, Lai told the players.
Taiwan is not just about semiconductors; Taiwan also has baseball.
Taiwan and China have been ruled separately since 1949, but Beijing claims the island as part of its territory and has sought to erase it from the international stage.
Taiwan competes under the name Chinese Taipei in international sports events due to pressure from China, which baulks at any attempt to give the island legitimacy.
Lai has been an outspoken defender of Taiwan's sovereignty, angering Beijing, which calls him a separatist.