Taipei: A former gymnastics coach of Taiwanese Olympic bronze medalist Tang Chia-hung has been suspended for two years by National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) following an investigation into the alleged bullying of students. In a statement issued Tuesday, NTNU, a leading institution for sports education in
Taiwan, said it had suspended Weng Shih-hang, an associate professor in the Department of Sport and Kinesiology, for two years and terminated its contract with Mai Liu Hsiang-han, Weng’s assistant coach, adding that she would not be eligible for employment at NTNU for two years.
According to Focus Taiwan, the decisions have been submitted to the Ministry of Education for review, with NTNU emphasizing its zero tolerance for bullying. However, at a press conference in Taipei on Tuesday, Humanistic Education Foundation Executive Director Feng Chiao-lan critiqued the punishments as disproportionate, arguing that the investigation committee failed to account for Weng’s position of authority.
Feng stated that the committee identified Mai Liu Hsiang-han as the one who physically beat the students, questioning why no one sought Weng’s intervention if it was her personal behavior. Feng expressed regret that many parents viewed such actions as part of normal training, labeling this as a serious issue.
Feng added th
at the students involved ranged from preschool-aged children to NTNU students. An anonymous student, in a recorded testimony, described Weng as her “second father” upon entering NTNU but accused him of exploiting students’ admiration to control and humiliate them under the guise of character building and discipline. She alleged inappropriate physical contact during bench press exercises and recounted more severe instances where students were forced to place sharp objects under others and were publicly slapped.
Lawmaker Chen Pei-yu, also present, referenced a 2025 controversy involving blood sampling on NTNU’s women’s soccer team. Chen revealed that student gymnasts sought help during that incident, noting the complex environment created by coaches being both mentors and potential sources of harm in Taiwan’s sports world, and called for comprehensive reforms to the sports training system.
At a separate event, Weng denied the allegations, admitting to using harsh language but maintaining he never physically h
armed students, and emphasized his good communication with parents. Many parents attended in support of Weng, attributing his strict methods to high expectations rather than abuse.
Tang, who secured a bronze medal on the horizontal bar at the 2024 Paris Olympics, issued a statement through his agency, noting he had parted ways with Weng post-Paris Games for further improvement. He expressed no knowledge of the allegations and refrained from commenting while the investigation continues, hoping for a better training environment and talent development system in Taiwan.