October 2024
Taiwan Amends the National Sports Act to Highlight Gender Equality and Insurance Protection
October 2024
Oli Wong and Andrew Huang
On August 7, 2024, Taiwan implemented the latest amendment to the “National Sports Act” (hereinafter the “Act”) to emphasize the government’s commitment to promoting gender equality in sports participation, protecting the insurance rights of student-athletes and coaches participating in comprehensive sports events, and ensuring student-athletes’ insurance claims and subsidies for contract salary differences. The key points of this amendment are summarized as follows:
I. Emphasizing the Government’s Commitment to Gender Equality
With growing awareness and trends in women’s participation in sports, the international community is emphasizing opportunities and rights for women in sports. Accordingly, to ensure equal access to sports facilities and participation in sports activities, the Act introduces a provision requiring all government agencies, institutions, schools, legal entities, organizations, and groups to “effectively advance gender equality in sports participation” (Article 5 of the Act).
II. Adding Insurance Policies for Student-Athletes
To safeguard the safety and well-being of student-athletes and coaches representing their schools in multi-sport competitions and leagues, and to alleviate the potential financial burden on families from sports-related risks, the Act adds a requirement for schools to provide group injury insurance for both student-athletes and coaches. This insurance shall cover death, medical expenses, hospitalization, outpatient injury treatment, and disability (Article 20-1 of the Act).
III. Ensuring Insurance Claims and Contract Salary Subsidies
For national team athletes with professional status participating in international competitions, insurance companies may limit coverage amounts due to commercial risk considerations, potentially failing to fully match the athletes’ contractual salaries, which could affect their willingness to compete. To protect athletes’ rights and well-being, the Act requires the Sports Administration to provide subsidies to cover the gap between short-term disability insurance payouts and the athletes’ contractual salaries (Article 23 of the Act).
Oli Wong and Andrew Huang
On August 7, 2024, Taiwan implemented the latest amendment to the “National Sports Act” (hereinafter the “Act”) to emphasize the government’s commitment to promoting gender equality in sports participation, protecting the insurance rights of student-athletes and coaches participating in comprehensive sports events, and ensuring student-athletes’ insurance claims and subsidies for contract salary differences. The key points of this amendment are summarized as follows:
I. Emphasizing the Government’s Commitment to Gender Equality
With growing awareness and trends in women’s participation in sports, the international community is emphasizing opportunities and rights for women in sports. Accordingly, to ensure equal access to sports facilities and participation in sports activities, the Act introduces a provision requiring all government agencies, institutions, schools, legal entities, organizations, and groups to “effectively advance gender equality in sports participation” (Article 5 of the Act).
II. Adding Insurance Policies for Student-Athletes
To safeguard the safety and well-being of student-athletes and coaches representing their schools in multi-sport competitions and leagues, and to alleviate the potential financial burden on families from sports-related risks, the Act adds a requirement for schools to provide group injury insurance for both student-athletes and coaches. This insurance shall cover death, medical expenses, hospitalization, outpatient injury treatment, and disability (Article 20-1 of the Act).
III. Ensuring Insurance Claims and Contract Salary Subsidies
For national team athletes with professional status participating in international competitions, insurance companies may limit coverage amounts due to commercial risk considerations, potentially failing to fully match the athletes’ contractual salaries, which could affect their willingness to compete. To protect athletes’ rights and well-being, the Act requires the Sports Administration to provide subsidies to cover the gap between short-term disability insurance payouts and the athletes’ contractual salaries (Article 23 of the Act).
