To strengthen the development pipeline for indigenous elite athletes, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) has advanced a comprehensive talent cultivation framework spanning grassroots development to elite performance. The CIP held the inauguration ceremony for the Indigenous Sports Talent Development Center today, 28 January, officially marking a new phase of institutionalized and systematic training for indigenous athletes and demonstrating the government’s firm commitment to advancing indigenous sports development.

Minister Ljaucu·Zingrur noted that indigenous athletes have long demonstrated outstanding talent and competitive strength in disciplines such as athletics, weightlifting, archery, shooting, boxing, judo, and taekwondo, achieving remarkable results at the Olympic Games, Asian Games, and other world-class competitions, and serving as a vital pillar of Taiwan’s competitive sports landscape. In response to national elite sports development trends, as of 2025, the CIP has integrated relevant resources to implement both the Indigenous Elite Athlete Advancement Program and the Indigenous Potential Elite Athlete Development Program, establishing a dual-track, bottom-up talent development system with strong interconnections. In 2025 alone, a total of 472 athlete participations received support under these programs.

The Indigenous Potential Elite Athlete Development Program focuses on grassroots development, identifying and nurturing indigenous student-athletes with strong potential. Meanwhile, the Indigenous Elite Athlete Advancement Program targets high-performing athletes with international competitiveness, linking them to national team pathways and the government’s elite “Golden Plan” training system to address critical training needs. Together, the two programs provide a comprehensive support network, including living allowances, training and competition subsidies, overseas training opportunities, sports science support, specialized equipment, and performance-based incentives for coaches.

Minister Ljaucu·Zingrur emphasized that the inauguration ceremony embodies the core spirit of “joint activation, collective strength, and upward advancement,” symbolizing collaboration among government agencies, academia, the sports community, and indigenous athletes to jointly establish a cornerstone for indigenous sports talent development. The CIP will continue to advance institutionalized training and cross-sector integration in the future, further strengthening indigenous competitive capacity and injecting sustainable momentum into the nation’s sports development.