The Bank of Taiwan has been a longstanding supporter of sports, especially in the development of basketball and baseball. The presentation of another "Sports Promoter Award” by the Sports Administration of the Ministry of Education this year reflected the bank’s outstanding accomplishments in the promotion of sports culture and fulfillment of social responsibility. The latest award, along with the “Sports Enterprise Certification” issued by the Sports Administration previously, re-affirms all the efforts made by BOT in sports promotion and sustainability. The award ceremony for the “Sports Promoter Awards” was held by the Sports Administration on November 29, 2024. Sports Administration Director-General Cheng Shih-Chung personally presented BOT Senior Executive Vice President Tai Shih-Yuan with the award recognizing BOT’s longstanding investment and outstanding contribution to sports development in Taiwan.

The BOT basketball team has been actively involved in raising the standard of basketball, cultivation of new talent, and training of national representatives in Taiwan since it was founded in 1973. Over the years, the team has cultivated many talented players for the basketball scene in Taiwan. Some of the better known players in recent years included Hsu Chih-Chiang and Chen Shun-Hsiang. Current star players include Hsieh Zong-Rong, Su Shih-Hsuan, and Chang Chia-Ho, making the team an important cradle for Taiwanese basketball talent. Tens of millions of dollars are invested by BOT every year to support the team’s development. These included nutrition subsidies, bonuses, dedicated training facilities, dormitories, and a fully-featured benefits scheme. A comprehensive career counseling mechanism was also set up by BOT to help talented players make the transition to the banking sector. The assurance of players’ long-term development provides a seamless transition between sports and the workplace.

BOT is actively promoting basketball at the grassroots level as well. Free youth basketball summer camps are hosted by the team over the summer break each year to give senior high school, junior high school, and elementary school students an opportunity to learn about basketball. This year, a total of 250 places were provided by the event. The team visits rural schools every year as well to host charity basketball activities. Between September and October this year, the team traveled to a number of schools in Yilan, Taichung, and Nantou to join students for basketball training, show them what makes the sports so fun, and sow the seeds of the basketball dream in rural regions.

In baseball, BOT began partnering with the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) in 2010 to invite school junior baseball teams to watch the “CPBL All-Star Game.” Watching the game in person introduced students to the passion and excitement of baseball. It also encourages the students to hone their skills so they can become star players and win glory for Taiwan on the international stage in the future, and carry on the Taiwanese baseball legacy. BOT has won the “Sport Promoter Award” for seven consecutive years and the “Sports Enterprise Certificate” on three occasions, making it one of the pioneer enterprises in support of sports in Taiwan. In the future, BOT will continue to exert its corporate influence by investing in sports development and rural assistance. It will also embrace the UN Sustainable Development Goals by promoting the common vision of social harmony, national sustainability, and corporate sustainability.