Cheerleaders play a big role in Taiwan's baseball culture but their distinctive style of encouragement didn't originate here. TaiwanPlus looks at how the culture evolved and what it takes to be a cheerleader.
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00:00Igniting the crowds and pumping up the fans, these are Taiwan's baseball cheerleaders who
00:11have been a fixture in the sport for over a decade.
00:15And at this warm-up game ahead of the World Baseball Classics qualifiers, they're cheering
00:19on Team Taiwan, competing under the name Chinese Taipei.
00:31The cheerleaders are responsible for getting fans invested in the game, making everyone
00:36at the stadium feel like an essential part of the match.
00:55Cheerleaders were first introduced to Taiwan's baseball scene in 1995, known as the Budweiser
01:00Girls.
01:01They were former models who helped sell drinks at games.
01:05But they weren't tied to an individual team.
01:08Then, in 2004, the Samsung Lions, a South Korean baseball team, brought their team's
01:14cheerleaders to Taiwan for an exhibition game, creating a sensation.
01:31This inspired Taiwan to form its first homegrown cheerleading team.
01:35The Lanyu Girls, setting the stage for cheerleaders we see today.
01:43Taiwan now has over 100 professional baseball cheerleaders.
01:47But becoming one of them is no easy feat.
01:50The selection process is rigorous, assisting candidates for dance skills, social media
01:55management and, most importantly, the ability to be approachable and engaging.
02:25And once they're on the team, there are more challenges to come.
02:28They undergo intense training and have to memorize at least 50 chants for different
02:33players.
02:48And to stand out among the cheerleaders in Taiwan, and get more fans and possibly sponsorships,
02:54they need to find something extra.
03:16For the World Baseball Classic qualifying games, cheerleaders from across the domestic
03:20league were chosen to form a special squad, called the CTMAs.
03:25They'll be priming the crowds to support the national team.
03:28These cheerleaders may not be the main characters on the field, but they definitely electrify
03:36the atmosphere here at the stadium.
03:37No one can deny that they play an important role in Taiwan's baseball popularity.
03:42Devon Tsai and Sunny Chi in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.