Taipei - Taiwan's pool champion Wu Chia-ching has rejected Taiwan's offer to keep him in Taiwan and is determined to play for Singapore, a newspaper said Tuesday. The Apple Daily said Wu has rejected the Chinese-Taipei Billiard Association's condition for putting him back on the Taiwan team.
The association had said it would find Wu a sponsor in exchange for his promising not to play for a foreign country for three years.
Wu is currently in Singapore, working as a training partner at Singapore's pool team, and preparing for obtaining Singaporean citizenship.
The Apple Daily quoted Wu Chia-ching's father, Wu Chen-chung, as saying: "We want to pass this opportunity (of having a sponsor) to other athletes. We don't want to be seen as grabbing money. We want guarantee (for Wu Chia-ching's livelihood."
Wu, 20, began to play pool at the age of 10. In 2005, he won the WPA Men's World Nine-Ball Championship and the WPA Men's Eight-Ball Championship, becoming at 16 the youngest player to win the title.
He decided to quit Taiwan after his salary demands were not met by Taiwan sports officials and the Chinese-Taipei Billiard Association stripped him of the right to play for Taiwan in February.
Wu demanded Taiwan match Singapore offer - 4.6 million Taiwan dollars (130,000 US dollars) per year, including a coach and travel expenses, and promised to hire him as a coach on the national team after he has stopped competing.
Taiwan's billiard association said it could offer him only 300,000 Taiwan dollars (8,500 US dollars) a year and would find him a sponsor.
Cuetec, the company which makes the Cuetec cues, has agreed to sponsor Wu Chia-ching.
"Cuetec agreed to give Wu Chia-ching 900,000 Taiwan dollars (25,000 US dolalrs) per year in sponsorship, if Wu uses Cuetec cues, Cuetec cue bags and clothing with Cuetec logo," Tu Yung-hui, executive director of the Chinese-Taipei Billiard Association, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur
