A Night of Recognition at the CTFA Awards
The Chinese Taipei Football Association staged its annual awards ceremony in New Taipei City, gathering players, coaches and officials to celebrate the season’s standout performances.
Hung Chin-hwai, who oversees both Hang Yuan’s men’s and women’s squads, accepted the best coach award in person, while Carlos Carlos Fernandez of TSG Tainan was represented by his wife, who collected the honor on his behalf after he remained in Spain.
Hung reflected on the steep learning curve faced by the women’s side, noting a string of injuries and a shortage of first‑choice players that forced the team to adapt mid‑season. Despite those setbacks, he praised the squad’s resilience and the spirit that ultimately carried them to the championship.
Golden Boot Highlights
Kang Tae‑won of Hang Yuan claimed the men’s Golden Boot with twelve goals, a tally that helped his side chase the title until the final round, matching the points of champions TSG Tainan.
Saowalak Pengngam of Taichung Blue Whale secured the women’s Golden Boot, netting seventeen goals across twenty‑one appearances and underscoring the attacking depth of the league.
Both players bring unique backgrounds: Kang was born in South Korea to a Taiwanese father and Korean mother, and previously plied his trade in the K League 1 with Suwon Samsung Bluewings before joining Hang Yuan last year; Saowalak, a Thai forward, has become a key figure for her club.
The association also took the opportunity to acknowledge past achievements, noting that the women’s team had finished second and third in recent seasons, experiences that have helped shape the current crop of players and provide a foundation for future growth.
Organizers emphasized that the awards are not merely celebratory but serve as a catalyst for continued investment in grassroots development and coaching education across Taiwan.