Pingtung gymnasts' supplementary qualification for the World Championships was canceled by the association, and the National Education and Sports Department called for intervention

Pingtung gymnasts Li Jiawei and Pan Caichen obtained supplementary qualifications for the 2026 World Gymnastics Championships, but were canceled by the Gymnastics Association, causing controversy. The All-China Federation of Education Industry issued a statement today (9th) strongly questioning the situation. Chairman Lin Huirong emphasized that individual sports associations have been controlled by a small number of factions for a long time, which has affected the rights and interests of players. "The sports department should shoulder the responsibility to deal with a bad debt that has been lingering for a long time."

Lin Huirong pointed out that the Ministry of Sports has the power of subsidy, evaluation and administrative supervision over individual sports associations. This case can no longer stop at requiring the association to conduct self-reviews, list management deficiencies or submit improvement reports. It should be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions of the National Sports Law. The whole school requires the Sports Department to immediately thoroughly investigate, specifically punish and replace the Secretary-General of the Gymnastics Association, and at the same time establish a central complaint and relief channel; for athletes who are both students and athletes, the Sports Department and the Ministry of Education should also establish an inter-departmental assistance mechanism.

Lin Huirong questioned that this incident was not just a simple administrative error, but exposed the institutional problems of excessive concentration of power in individual sports associations and insufficient protection of players' rights and interests. Players were aggrieved and did not even dare to speak out. They could only appeal to the association. "The association is like a player-referee, and the appeal mechanism is useless!"

Lin Huirong said that individual sports associations have important powers such as training selection, national team formation, international competition registration, subsidy funds and international contacts, but the players’ rights to know, participate and remedy are obviously insufficient. Even if coaches and players are wronged, they may remain silent for fear of being blamed, made things difficult for them, or even being unable to participate in the competition. The Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Education should establish inter-ministerial and central-level appeal channels for competitive athletes.

Lin Huirong pointed out that this is not the first time that similar disputes have occurred. In 2025, the Table Tennis Association disqualified 17-year-old Ye Yitian from participating in the WTT US Grand Slam without consent. Now the Gymnastics Association has caused another controversy. If the government only "gets angry" and "demands review" every time, but the same incidents happen again and again, it means that there is a clear imbalance between the association's power and the players' rights.

Lin Huirong said that all individual associations involved in the qualifications for major international events should put "the best interests of the players first" as the core. As long as the players are qualified and willing to participate, the association should assist in retaining seats, processing registrations, coordinating funds, and removing administrative obstacles; if they want to give up their qualifications, they must also be fully informed and clearly confirmed by the players themselves, and they cannot be informed only after the players have been disqualified.