Gary White, the former coach of Taiwan's men's national football team, was ejected from a Women's Asian Cup match in Perth on Tuesday after chanting "Taiwan" during a match featuring the island's women's team.
The incident occurred during a Group C match at Perth Rectangular Stadium in Australia, where the team competes under the designation "Chinese Taipei" — a compromise nomenclature mandated by international sports bodies under pressure from Beijing.
White, who coached the men's team from 2017 to 2019, was escorted from the stadium by security officials after repeatedly chanting the island's actual name in support of the women's team. According to witnesses, the 59-year-old British coach was warned by officials before being removed from the venue.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) considers use of the name "Taiwan" at official events a political statement, in line with broader International Olympic Committee protocols that require the island to compete as "Chinese Taipei" with a specially designed flag and anthem.
Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, but China considers the island part of its territory and has successfully pressured international organizations to restrict Taiwan's official recognition. The naming issue remains deeply contentious: many Taiwanese citizens view "Chinese Taipei" as an erasure of their distinct identity, while Beijing frames any assertion of Taiwan as a separate entity as separatism.
This is not the first time Taiwan's participation in international sports has sparked controversy. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, broadcasters faced pressure over graphics and terminology. In 2020, domestic athletes launched an unsuccessful referendum campaign to compete under "" at future Games.
