Su-Wei Hsieh Unafraid of Being Jinxed, Taiwan Should Cease Deluding Itself

Su-Wei Hsieh Unafraid of Being Jinxed, Taiwan Should Cease Deluding Itself
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
July 10, 2013

Summary: Su-Wei Hsieh said she was unafraid of being jinxed. She was unafraid to shake hands with the president. She shook the "handshake of death" long ago. Her words may have had an edge. But they also had a logic of their own. She said, "I am afraid only of my own inadequacies. External opponents are not my enemy."

Full Text below:

Su-Wei Hsieh said she was unafraid of being jinxed. She was unafraid to shake hands with the president. She shook the "handshake of death" long ago. Her words may have had an edge. But they also had a logic of their own. She said, "I am afraid only of my own inadequacies. External opponents are not my enemy."

Su-Wei Hsieh and Peng Shuai formed a "Straits Duo" that won the Wimbledon women's doubles championship. They immediately became the subject of widespread attention. They received a congratulatory message from the president. A winery in Qinghai offered Su-Wei Hsieh 50 million RMB to change her place of residency. Her tennis partner Peng Shuai mentioned in passing that she "could not accept the notion that Taiwan is a country." This struck a raw nerve in some listeners. In response, Legislative Yuan President Wang Jin-pyng and Education Minister Chiang Wei-ning immediately persuaded the business community to raise 200 million dollars, overnight, and establish a corporate sports fund.

That entrepreneurs are willing to sponsor sports is cause for celebration. But they waited until the government called upon them before making donations. They left the impression that the donations were not made on their own inititative, and that they were not terribly enthusiastic about the entire affair. By contrast, a winery in faraway Qinghai already had its eye on Su-Wei Hsieh. It made her an offer even before her Wimbledon victory. Why do Taiwanese entrepreneurs have little desire to make such investments? Do they lack foresight? They wait until someone else makes a bid. Only then do they want in on the action. Only then do they engage in a bidding war. These political investments, motivated by their desire to protect a "native brand," undermine their claims that they "cherish talent."

Taiwan society is in the habit of feeding anything and everything into the political meat grinder. The possibility that Su-Wei Hsieh may change her place of residency has become an issue. Peng Shuai's inability to accept "Taiwan as a country" also touched a raw nerve for some. Frank Hsieh lashed back. He said "My country is called the Republic of China." Frank Hsieh's declaration was gutsy. But shouldn't he have made this declaration before his Green Camp comrades and grassroots supporters? Shouldn't he have waited to see what reaction this elicited? Peng Shuai is one of the first individual champions on the Mainland's national team. She broke with convention and teamed up with Su-Wei Hsieh to form the Straits Duo. She is subject to scrutiny and pressure difficult for outsiders to appreciate. Does Frank Hsieh want to engage in a contest of bravado? If so, perhaps he should compete against Peng Shuai and see who blinks first.

Champions like Su-Wei Hsieh compete under the international spotlight. They have already achieved self-sufficiency with their cash prizes. So-called corporate sponsorships or endorsements are merely quid pro quos. It is enough that both parties profit from them. Those who really need support and sponsorship, are those who have only begun to display their potential. These players are still struggling. They need help during training and competition. Coaching fees and travel expenses impose a heavy burden on their families. They need outside assistance. Su-Wei Hsieh's siblings belong in this category. Entrepreneurs may be unsure whether to support a particular sport or a particular athlete. If so, why not contribute to an athletic fund and allow the fund to benefit a wide range of sports and athletes? Why not support budding talent in a variety of sports?

Will Su-Wei Hsieh accept the offer from a Qinghai winery, and change her residency? We think she will choose what is best for her. This is no one else's concern. Wang Chien-ming and Chen Wei-yin wanted to play professional baseball in the United States. The Yang Tai-kang brothers wanted to play baseball in Japan. Jeremy Lin was not even born in Taiwan. Yet he was labeled "Taiwan's Shining Light." For professional ball players at the international level, changing one's residency in response to career choices or changes in sponsorship is inevitable. In recent years many ROC national basketball team members have moved to the Mainland. Billiards prodigy Wu Chia-ching, unable to move to Singapore, wound up on Mainland China. She wound up making many times what she would have made on Taiwan. Players elevate their status and broaden their name recognition by moving to larger markets with more competitors. This is something to celebrate. In an era of globalization, why must Taiwan impose artificial limits on itself?

If a player from Taiwan joins a United States or Japanese team, don't we applaud? Don't we consider it an honor? Don't we congratulate the player? Therefore when a player moves to the Mainland, why do we consider it an insult, or find the move hard to swallow? Given Su-Wei Hsieh's character, will she really seal her lips and never again mention that she came from Taiwan? The winery in Qinghai is willing to have players from Taiwan display its trademark throughout the world. Should people on Taiwan respond by refusing to recognize their native daughter from Hsinchu, this Star of Taiwan?

Taiwan's political curse is its unrelenting self-delusion and self-debilitation. It is clear that in an era of globalization, people may go wherever they please. But as soon as someone's destination is the Chinese mainland, we suddenly pull our heads back into our shells like turtles. Fortunately, Su-Wei Hsieh is unafraid of being jinxed. She was blunt. "I am unwilling to play political games along with everyone else. Sports is sports." She knows full well that had she played by Taiwan's political rules, she would never have won her doubles championship.

A great champion constantly challenges herself. A sophisticated audience constantly broadens its perspective and opens its heart.

謝淑薇不怕魔咒，台灣勿自我催眠
【聯合報╱社論】
2013.07.10 01:49 am

謝淑薇說，她不怕魔咒，不怕跟總統握手，「死亡之握」早就握過了。話說得麻辣，倒自有她的道理，她說：「我只怕我自己，外面的敵人都不是敵人！」

謝淑薇和彭帥的「海峽雙打」得到溫布頓女雙冠軍，馬上話題一堆。從總統賀電，到青海一家酒廠以五千萬元招手要謝淑薇換籍，再到搭檔彭帥拋出一句「不能接受台灣是一個國家」，挑動人們的敏感神經。也因此，立法院長王金平和教長蔣偉寧立即號召企業，一夕募到了兩億元，要成立企業捐助體育平台。

企業界樂於贊助運動，是值得欣喜的事；但要等到政府號召才出手捐款，總讓人覺得不夠積極，也感受不到那股熱情。試想，遠在青海的酒廠早就看上謝淑薇，且是在她打出溫布頓冠軍之前出手；為什麼台灣企業家就沒有這種投資或愛才的眼光？等到別人出了價，才想到要去搶人還價，這種為保衛「本土招牌」而做的政治投資，不免減損了幾分「惜才」的美意。

台灣社會有一種特殊本能，能把所有事情都放進「政治絞肉機」去分解。除了謝淑薇「換籍」的問題外，彭帥在受訪時說她不能接受台灣是「國家」，也惹來許多人的不滿，包括謝長廷的大棒反擊，說「我的國家叫中華民國」。謝長廷好膽的話，請把這句話當著他的綠營同志和基層群眾的面宣示一下，看看效果如何？要知道，彭帥是爭取從大陸國家代表隊「單飛」的先鋒選手，她破例和謝淑薇合組海峽雙打，必然也承受了一些外人難以窺知的壓力。要論勇敢，謝長廷不妨先和彭帥比比看，誰更挺得住。

事實上，像謝淑薇這種已在國際職業賽事中綻露光芒的選手，已能憑贏取的豐厚獎金自給自足；所謂的企業贊助或代言，不過是彼此各取所需、相得益彰罷了。真正需要支持與贊助的，其實是那些初顯露潛力、正在苦苦攀爬的選手，他們在訓練或參賽過程中所需的教練費和旅費，都是家庭的莫大負擔，更需要外界協助扶一把；謝淑薇的弟妹，即是屬於這類。企業家若無法確知要支持哪個特定運動或特定選手，何不多多捐助體育平台，透過平台的運作，可以更廣泛造福不同類型的選手，讓各運動領域開出更多奇葩。

進一步說，謝淑薇是否接受青海酒廠的邀約而「易籍」，我們相信她自己能做出最佳選擇，恐怕人們毋需為此捶胸頓足。當王建民、陳偉殷都在美國打職棒，陽岱鋼兄弟在日本打職棒，連不是在台灣出生的林書豪都被我們視為「台灣之光」；可見，對國際級的職業球員而言，因生涯選擇或接受贊助而輾轉球籍，已是不可免的趨勢。再說，近年有多位台灣籃球國手投效大陸隊伍，撞球神童吳珈慶轉籍新加坡不成反入籍中國，皆因此取得高出此地數倍的待遇。從某個角度看，球員因市場及競爭者的擴大而提高其身價及知名度，是可喜之事；在全球化年代，台灣何必劃地自限？

試想，如果台灣球員得以加盟美、日球隊，我們莫不鼓掌喝采，視為光榮可賀之事；為何選手一投效中國大陸，就要覺得是奇恥大辱或難以下嚥？以謝淑薇的性格，難道就會因易籍而絕口不提自己來自台灣？何況，一家青海酒廠願意讓一名台灣選手掛著它的標誌在世界走動，難道台灣民眾自此不再認她為新竹女兒、台灣之星？

台灣的政治魔咒，是一種不斷自我催眠、自我耗弱的遊戲；明明走遍天下都通行的法則，一遇中國大陸便龜縮。所幸謝淑薇不怕魔咒，她也直言：「我不跟大家玩政治遊戲，運動歸運動。」她心裡當然明白：若依照台灣的政治玩法，她這次的雙打冠軍獎盃絕不可能到手！

高明的選手，就是不斷地自我挑戰；高明的觀眾，也請挑戰自己的視野和心胸！