At the 2023 Sports Elite Awards Ceremony, weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun presented the Best Male Athlete Award to judoka Yang Yung-wei

The Sports Administration (SA) held the “2023 Sports Elite Awards Ceremony” on December 25th. A final selection meeting was held on the morning of the ceremony to select the winners from the list of finalists chosen at the preliminary selection meeting. The Best Male Athlete Award was presented to Yang Yung-wei, while the Best Female Athlete Award went to Lien Chen-ling. Tseng Tzu-Chiang (John Tseng) received the Best Coach Award, and the title of Best Sports Team Award was bestowed upon the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou Men's 3x3 basketball team. Gu Shiau-shuang earned the Best Sportsmanship Award, and Hsieh Yuan-Kai was honored with the Best Rookie Athlete Award. During the ceremony, Premier Chen Chien-jen presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to coach Liu Jin-chi and a Special Award to go player Hsu Hao-hung. Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung delivered a speech, offering words of encouragement and congratulations to all the winners. He also praised the relentless dedication of athletes and coaches, highlighting their remarkable achievements for Taiwan in international sports.
The SA stated that a total of 85 submissions for the 2023 Sports Elite Awards were received, and all the recommended athletes had outstanding results in domestic and international competitions. In addition to selecting the winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award and Special Award through a project review meeting, the finalists for the Best Male Athlete Award, Best Female Athlete Award, Best Coach Award, Best Sports Team Award, Best Rookie Athlete Award and Best Sportsmanship Award were also selected through a preliminary meeting.
The nominees for this year's Best Male Athlete Award included Yang Yung-wei, who aimed for his third consecutive win, Lee Chih-kai, known as the pommel horse prince, first-time nominee Lai Kuan-chieh, tennis star Hsu Yu-Hsiou, and young Paiwan talent Lai Chu-en. Ultimately, Yang Yung-wei captured the judges' favor and was honored with the Best Male Athlete Award. In the category of Best Female Athlete Award, contenders included judo queen Lien Chen-ling, boxing champion Lin Yu-ting, roller skater Li Meng-chu, canoeing champion Chang Chu-han, and Bunun warrior Gu Shiau-shuang. Each of them exhibited exceptional performances, making it a challenging decision for the judges. Ultimately, Lien Chen-ling was chosen as the recipient of the award.
Shortlisted for Best Coach Award were Tseng Tzu-Chiang, the driving force behind boxing gold medalist Lin Yu-ting, Liu Wen-teng who coached the judoka Yang Yung-wei, and coach Wu Jiong-zhu, who coached the roller skating team. Their dedication and strategic guidance ensured that the athletes could train without any hindrance. After a tough battle, Tseng Tzu-Chiang won in the end. Regardless of whether they won the award or not, the coaches are always the biggest support for the athletes and share the glory with them. Shortlisted for Best Rookie Athlete Award were the roller skater Wang Yu-chun, fencer Hung Li-hsiang, Lin Pei-hsuan, who was the youngest to meet the Asian Games qualifying standard, Huang Chao-hong, a high school student excelling in javelin, and hurdler Hsieh Yuan-kai; the award was ultimately presented to Hsieh Yuan-kai. As for this year’s Best Sportsmanship Award, the contenders included Kan Chia-wei who embodies the spirit of "bloody fighting", Gu Shiau-shuang known for "never gives up until the last second", Kuo Hsing-chun who never considered “giving up” as an option, and Lien Chen-ling who believes in herself and is persistent in pursuing her dream. Gu Shiau-shuang finally won the award because of her perseverance and spirit in the final bout.
The contenders for this year's Best Sports Team Award included the 2021 Summer World University Games badminton mixed team, the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou men's roller skating team, the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou men's gymnastics team, the 2023 TWIF World Outdoor Championships women’s tug of war team, and the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou men’s basketball 3x3 team. With all these teams delivering outstanding performances, the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou men’s basketball 3x3 team stood out as the winner.
The SA mentioned that, in addition to the representatives of the main and co-organizers, players and coaches who have previously received the Elite Awards were invited as award presenters to symbolize the spirit of continuity. Hsu Yu-Hsiou, who won the Best Rookie Athlete Award in 2017 and was a finalist for the Best Male Athlete Award this year, also had the honor of presenting the Best Rookie Athlete Award. As he handed the award to the five shortlisted newcomer athletes, he couldn't help but reminisce about his own experience standing on the Sports Elite Awards stage years ago.
Every year, the finalists for the Elite Awards have consistently showcased exceptional performances and garnered high-profile recognition throughout the year. These athletes and teams compete on the international stage with boundless energy, achieving remarkable success for Taiwan. They look forward to continued recognition and support from Taiwanese people. The SA remains steadfast in its commitment to being the strongest support for all athletes and coaches, consistently investing resources and implementing policies to help them excel in their respective fields.

List of winners of the 2023 Sports Elite Awards

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At the 2023 Sports Elite Awards Ceremony, weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun presented the Best Male Athlete Award to judoka Yang Yung-wei

At the 2023 Sports Elite Awards Ceremony, star gymnast Lee Chih-kai presented the Best Female Athlete Award, the award received on her behalf by Lien Chen-ling's mother

Premier Chen Chien-jen attended the Sports Elite Awards Ceremony

At this year's Sports Elite Awards Ceremony, Minister of Education, Pan Wen-chung acknowledged the exceptional performance of all athletes and coaches honored

Attendees at the 2023 Sports Elite Awards Ceremony are shown in a group photo