The sport of orienteering is growing in Taiwan, with the national youth team even winning medals at international events.
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00:00An athlete shows off a sport that's got a devoted and growing following.
00:11Using just a map and a compass, competitors must find their way over obstacles, racing
00:16to scan in at designated checkpoints before their rivals.
00:20And there's no GPS to help.
00:27This is orienteering, a kind of real-world treasure hunt that's timed.
00:32And many athletes who started out in other disciplines have found the rush, and the skilled
00:36preparation it takes, addictive.
00:54Part of the appeal is its similarity to games like the wildly popular Pokemon Go, but also
01:00that it forces competitors to put down their phones and use navigation skills that are
01:04often forgotten today.
01:12And under the direction of coaches like Lai Wei-Lun, Taiwan's national team is already
01:17seeing results.
01:18Despite tough conditions, including a sick teammate, the team won two bronze medals at
01:23last year's Asian Youth Tournament in Thailand.
01:43Though still far from the mainstream popularity of baseball or basketball, orienteers like
01:48this hope to spread the word, and bring home even more medals next time.
01:52I'm Dolphin Chen and John Van Triest for Taiwan Plus.