POLITICS AS A SECOND CAREER FOR ATHLETES?

Two former sports stars, Chien Wei-chuang and Chao Shi-chiang, both announced their legislative bids earlier this week. And the question now is: How much positive impact can they bring, if they get elected? Well, if history is any indication, putting great athletes into the Legislative Yuan doesn't always lead to a political slam dunk or a home run.

They used to make the headlines in the sports pages, but from now on, we are more likely to see them in political news.

Retired basketball sensation Chien Wei-chuan and former baseball star Chao Shi-chiang both announced their legislative bids earlier this week, with Chien being nominated by the KMT, and Chao running on behalf of the DPP.

In fact, they are just the latest examples in a long line of athletes-turned-politicians that Taiwan has witnessed in the past few decades.

Ji-Zheng, the first Taiwan-born female Olympic medalist, was elected as lawmaker in 1981, marking the first time that a former sports star has won a parliament seat.

And she didn't disappoint in her new role, winning re-election twice and still remains active in public welfare work to this very day.

And Taiwan's first Olympic silver medalist, the late track and field star Yang Chuan-kuang, also followed Ji's lead and became a lawmaker in 1983, but he only served for one term.

Fast forward to 1993, the year retired basketball legend Hung Chun-che was elected as lawmaker. And during his four-year term in the legislature, he at times showed an aggressiveness that might remind others of his playing style in the old days.

After the year 2000, retired basketball player Cheng Chih-lung and former Taekwondo athlete Huang Chih-hsiung also won legislative seats, but with differing results.

While Cheng resumed his basketball career after serving four years, Huang has made a smooth transition to politics, having won re-election in 2008 and is now planning to run for a third term.

It's hard to say at this point whether political new comers like Chien and Chao are here to stay or will just be a flash in the pan.

But at least it's certain now that by getting them to join the legislative race, the major parties have each scored a run in the game called "pre-election media hype."

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