Former Baseball Star Chen Yi-hsin Compares First Legislative interpellation to Pitching Before 50,000 People

(CNA, Taipei, May 20, by reporter Wang Shu-fen) Chen Yi-hsin, Deputy Minister of the Council of Indigenous Peoples and a former professional baseball star, had his first interpellation at the Legislative Yuan today since taking office last September. Facing legislators' questions, he admitted to being a bit nervous and compared himself to a pitcher facing a crowd of 50,000 people. The Legislative Yuan's Internal Administration Committee had arranged for business reports and interpellations with the Council of Indigenous Peoples, the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Foundation, and the Indigenous Languages Research and Development Foundation. Chen, who was recruited into the cabinet last year, faced his first interpellation today. DPP Legislator Lee Po-yi specifically asked Chen to present his ideas on the development of indigenous sports. Upon taking the podium, Chen immediately expressed his nervousness, comparing it to pitching before 50,000 people and joking that "the first pitch is hard for a starter, and it's tough in relief too," drawing laughter from the floor. Chen stated that the budget for developing indigenous sports last year was NT$200 million. The Council has top-tier and excellence programs that will continue this year, but he feels it is still not enough. He is currently in discussions with the sports ministry, hoping to provide reinforcement through "specialized expertise and skills." Chen mentioned that having grown up in a rural area and been supported by the Retired Servicemen's Engineering Agency, he understands the hardships of grassroots players. He hopes that in the future, sports subsidies for indigenous people will target athletes, especially children from low-to-middle-income families, rather than specific schools. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching)