Black Panther Flag》The 2026 CITIC Cup Black Panther Flag officially started with 215 teams reaching a record high

The 14th CITIC Cup Black Panther Flag National High School Baseball Competition in 2026 officially started today (25th) at the Tainan National Baseball Training Base (Asia Pacific Baseball Training Center Baseball Subfield). The opening match was between the previous champion Taoyuan City Pingzhen High School and the Taichung City Longjin High School who won the lottery. A total of 215 teams signed up for the competition this year, setting a new high in the history of the event and symbolizing a new milestone for the Panther Flag.

Since its first event in 2013, the Panther Flag has entered its 14th year this year. It continues to adhere to the core spirit of "everyone has the opportunity to stand on the field" and has become one of the largest high school baseball events in the country with the largest number of participants. A total of 215 teams and nearly 4,000 players are participating this year, including 159 pure women's players. Many high school players will sweat and fight hard in the next schedule to strive for their own glory.

Despite being affected by typhoons and weather, 115 teams still enthusiastically participated in the opening ceremony, demonstrating the high school players' love and commitment to baseball. In her speech, Zhou Lingkui, chairman of the Baseball Association of the Republic of China, encouraged all participating teams and players to seize the opportunity to stand on the Black Panther flag stage, fully demonstrate their daily training results, and enjoy the game to the fullest, leaving unforgettable youth memories for their high school lives.

Zhou Lingkui said that since the Black Panther Flag was held, the number of participating teams has continued to grow. From 51 teams in the first session, this year officially exceeded 200 teams and reached 215 teams. This is not only an expansion of the scale of the event, but also represents the continued increase in the number of Taiwanese high school baseball participants. In addition to providing a stage for major players to show their strength, the Panther flag also allows high school club teams and students who love baseball to have the opportunity to put on jerseys and represent the school on the official field. This is the most precious value of the Panther flag.

Distinguished guests attending today's opening ceremony, including Executive Undersecretary of the Sports Department Hung Chi-chang, Tainan City Sports Bureau Director Wang Hsiao-wen, and China Trust Bank Senior Vice President Lin Yongsheng, among others, witnessed the official opening of the 14th event.

The opening match was between Pingzhen High School and Longjin High School. Pingzhen defeated Longjin 27:0 in the third inning in advance. However, Longjin performed well in this campaign, striking out and stealing bases successfully against Pingzhen, which received warm applause from the audience.