Chinese Taipei beat Japan: Premier12 Championship Game reaction

On Sunday, 24 November the WBSC Premier12 2024 presented by RAXUS concluded an exciting tournament with a 4-0 upset win by Chinese Taipei in the Premier12 Championship Game over Japan. It’s the first ever title win by Chinese Taipei in event history. Japan now has a full set of medals after bronze in 2015 and gold in 2019.

Players and managers from both teams reacted after the closing ceremony about the final game and the WBSC Premier12 2024.

“It feels almost unreal, but it truly happened. The players believed in themselves and kept moving forward through the entire journey, walking this path to the very end,” said Chinese Taipei manager Hao-Jiu Tseng at the press conference. “Life holds infinite possibilities, and if you challenge them, dreams will surely come true. I want to thank the players who dreamed of this moment and persevered until the end. As a manager, I feel deeply honored by this result and incredibly proud of the players. I want to continue walking this path while dreaming of such moments in the future.”

“These younger players picked up what we left (’13) in the past”, said former MLB player Chien-Ming Wang, who served as pitching coach for Chinese Taipei. “This is their generation, and they will keep improving. These young kids will take those in and boost their confidence if you encourage them.”

Captain Chien-Hsien Chen seconded that notion. “I once thought that I was nobody, and I never anticipated that we could win the world championship. From now on, baseball players from Chinese Taipei can stride with their heads and chests up.” Chen was named Most Valuable Player during the closing ceremony.

The atmosphere at the Tokyo Dome during the Premier12 Championship Game was tremendous, as confirmed by Chinese Taipei’s battery, which closed out the game. ”I did not expect we would hear the crowd in the Tokyo Dome as well,” said catcher Giljegiljaw Kungkuan. “It’s like we made Tokyo Dome our home field too. This is unbelievable.”

A notion which was seconded by closer Kai-Wei Lin. “I wasn’t nervous until I stepped on the mound and heard the crowds that cheered for Japan,” he said. “I initially thought that (the final play) was a foul ball, but once I saw Yu-Shien Chu [Chinese Taipei’s first baseman] execute that double play, I realized that we were the champions. I threw my glove because I remembered that Shohei Ohtani also threw his glove after clinching the WBC.”

On the opposing side Samurai Japan entered the final as the clear favorite. They were 8-0 in the WBSC Premier12 2024 and looked on track to continue their streak of 27 consecutive wins entering the championship game.

Starting pitcher Shosei Togo started off the final with four scoreless innings, but then a pair of home runs turned a great outing into a sour one. "I definitely felt the pressure of international competition today. The two home runs shifted the momentum completely in the opponent’s favor. I personally felt the fear of one bad pitch. Moving forward, I think the only way to repay this is to perform better in world competitions, like the WBC, and I will continue to work hard to make that happen,” Togo said in an interview on Sunday. “The team had been on a winning streak and the momentum was great. The opponent's pitcher also threw well, and I wanted to pitch well myself, but I got hit hard in the fifth inning. I feel really sorry for that."

Infielder Kaito Kozono gave credit to the performance from Chinese Taipei. "[The starting pitcher] threw some really good pitches, and I was impressed. I didn’t really have issues with timing, but his pitches were really impressive. I’d love to face him again if the opportunity arises. The level is very high, and I felt that we couldn’t match up. I need to keep improving my skills, and I hope I can get another chance,” said the number two hitter from Japan. "I’m really frustrated about how things went, and I want to get revenge. I’ll work hard to wear the Japan national team uniform again."

Manager Hirokazu Ibata took responsibility for the loss during the press conference. “The players gave all in the nine games from the first match to today. I would like to thank for their hard work. The fact that we couldn’t secure the victory in the end is entirely my responsibility. I feel deeply sorry for the players.”

Ibata is already looking ahead to the next steps. “While there were many young players, they performed exceptionally well. I hope the players will take today’s loss to heart and continue striving to improve.”