The Study on Taiwan's International Women's Football Invitational Tournaments from 1978 to 1987

Abstract

In the 1960s and 1970s, Taiwan women’s football team was the leading team in the global sports arena, and it was also the first to host the world’s largest international women’s football competition, which had a profound impact on the long-term development of women’s football in Taiwan and women’s football competition of the world. Research purpose: Through surveying the four International Women’s Football Invitational Tournaments in Taiwan from 1978 to 1987, the study sought to understand its background at that time, the selection and training mechanisms of the women’s football team, and the competition contents of the four tournaments. Research method: This study used the historical research method to examine the thesis through the collection of historical sources: semi-structured interview, primary historical sources, and analysis of the relevant studies, newspapers and magazines. Research findings: (1) As situated in the main traffic intersection of the world, Taiwan had the strategic military importance. In 1949, with the rise of Chinese Communist Party and the fall of the Chinese Nationalist Party, the latter withdrew to Taiwan, and strived to gain national identity amongst Taiwanese people through sports development. As its political order started to become stable, it started to prosper, and team titles of participating in international sports competitions became solved, the Taiwanese government sought to break through the diplomatic predicament and solidify locals’ national cohesiveness through hosting the International Women’s Football Tournament. (2) From 1978 to 1987, Taiwan invited the top women’s football teams around the world to participate in the tournament for four years. The women’s football team for Taiwan had a good performance in the second place for the first year, the third place in the second year, the second place in the third year and overall champion in the fourth year. They took the world’s top three spots. Through international competitions, the women’s football team enhanced not only its competitive capacities, but its visibility around the globe. (3) The Taiwan women’s football team, named Mulan, represents the development of women’s participation in sports in four facets of power: the power of women’s social position, the global competitive power of enhancing women’s sports, the cohesive power of nationalism and the power of cultivating Taiwanese women’s football players. Grabbing FIFA’s attention, Taiwan women’s football team made it to the first Women’s World Cup. These female football players exerted the significant contribution to the promotion of Taiwan’s sports.