A sports coach at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) has issued a formal apology for pressuring students to participate in a blood sampling project. Chou Tai-ying, 61, claimed her intention was to help her team, which had limited players who were frequently injured. However, the exact purpose of the blood sampling remains unclear.
The controversy began when Taiwanese politician Chen Pei-yu exposed the project in 2024, alleging students were told they would lose academic credits if they didn’t participate. An internal investigation at NTNU found the blood sampling started in 2019 and continued until 2024 for various research projects.
Coach Chou admitted asking unqualified students to help withdraw blood and apologized for placing “any pressure on the school and the students” through her “reckless words and behavior”. “It is definitely my fault for making you feel the way you did,” she said in a statement to the students. Professor Chen Hsueh-chih, leader of one of the research projects, also apologized, stating the aim was to help student athletes but unintentionally caused harm to them and their families.
The internal investigation revealed students gave blood once a day, but the samples were discarded due to improper handling. This contradicts Chen Pei-yu’s allegations that the project required players to give three blood samples daily for 14 consecutive days over several years.
NTNU Principal Wu Cheng-chi apologized for the school’s negligence and announced a review of the institution’s ethics and oversight procedures. Taiwan’s Deputy Education Minister stated the case would be reviewed, along with the actions of Coach Chou and Professor Chen. The Education Ministry also warned it might revoke the coaching license of the NTNU women’s football coach involved.