TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A Taiwanese taekwondo athlete who waved a Chinese flag after winning a bronze at the Asia-Pacific Masters Games (APMG) in South Korea was not officially registered with Taiwan’s team, the Sports Administration said Saturday (May 20).

Chinese media first reported that as the man, named as Lee Tung-hsien (李東憲), mounted the podium to receive a bronze medal, he brandished a Chinese flag to celebrate his win.

Reacting to the incident, the Sports Administration under Taiwan’s Ministry of Education said that participants in the APMG did not represent countries, but only themselves, the Liberty Times reported. As a result, Lee’s behavior was not related to the MOE nor to the official taekwondo association, officials said.

The APMG games were open to anyone over the age of 30, and mainly served to promote cultural and tourism relations, the administration said in a statement. As there were no national teams, the opening ceremony saw the athletes grouped by sport, and the games did not feature any national anthems or flags.

The Sports Administration said it had provided the details about Lee’s case to the organizing committee of the 2025 APMG, which will be hosted by Taipei City and New Taipei City.