A sports coach at a Taiwanese university has issued a formal apology over a research project that allegedly involved her coercing students into giving blood, according to local media.
Chou Tai-ying, 61, said that her intention was to help her team “because I had only a few players and they were often injured”, but it is not known exactly what the blood was being taken for.
A Taiwanese politician, Chen Pei-yu, brought the case to light in 2024, alleging students were told that they would lose academic credits if they did not take part.
An internal investigation at National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) in Taipei later found the blood sampling had started in 2019 and continued into 2024 for different “research projects”.
Coach Chou, who admitted asking unqualified students to help withdraw the blood, apologised on Saturday for placing “any pressure on the school and the students” through her “reckless words and behaviour,” Taiwan’s Focus News agency reported.
“It is definitely my fault for making you feel the way you did,” she said to the students via a statement.
Professor Chen Hsueh-chih, leader of one of the unspecified research projects, also issued an apology.
He said the aim was to help student athletes, but admitted it had unintentionally brought them and their families harm.
The internal investigation indicated that students had given blood once a day. The samples were thrown out after the investigation found fault with the way the blood was drawn.
Chen Pei-yu originally alleged that the research project required players to give three blood samples a day for 14 days straight. She said the players were required to take part in the project over several years.
NTNU principal Wu Cheng-chi apologised on Saturday for what he called the school’s negligence. He said the institution’s ethics and oversight procedures would be reviewed.
Taiwan’s deputy education minister said the case would be reviewed by their department, as well as the actions of Chou and Chen.
Separately, the education ministry said on Thursday it might revoke the coaching license of an NTNU women’s football coach, without naming the individual.