TSG Hawks Seek New Minor League Training Complex
On May 29, Liberty Sports reported that Taiwan Steel Group (TSG), the TSG Hawks baseball team’s parent company, donated a generous 9.34 million USD to Kao Yuan University.
According to the TSG Hawks’ general manager, they are planning to utilise the university’s land and build a farm team training facility for the TSG Hawks.
“TSG Hawks have been searching for a suitable location in Southern Taiwan to establish a training complex, and the Kao Yuan University aligns well with our current needs,” said the Hawks’ GM, Liu Dong-Yang. “We will explore the possibility of building training facilities and players’ dormitory to set up a comprehensive training complex in Southern Taiwan.”
Kao Yuan University in Financial Trouble: Saved by TSG
Kao Yuan, a private university based in Kaohsiung City, is currently facing financial difficulties. According to CNA, more than 150 employees have not received salaries for the past 11 months since June of last year.
The interim chancellor of Kao Yuan University told CNA that they had received the funding and the administrative department is now sorting out all the unpaid salaries. The interim chancellor did not comment on whether the money is from Taiwan Steel Group.
With the 9.4 million USD capital injection by the Taiwan Steel Group to Kao Yuan University, some media outlets suggested that perhaps TSG might end up renaming the school to TSG University.
Kao Yuan University to Renamed as TSG University?
As per UDN, a key person from Taiwan Steel Group, who is familiar with the matter, revealed that the negotiation process took about a year. However, with the assistance of the city government, legislators and others, both TSG and the university finally reached a consensus.
“Taking over the university was not driven by profit considerations. This is definitely not a good business deal,” said the TSG key person familiar with the matter. “Instead, it is based on social responsibility to cultivate talents and help the university address its current financial difficulties.”
Taiwan Steel Group has some ideas regarding the university’s board structure and will gradually move forward with implementing them. They also plan to rename it Taiwan Steel Group University.
