Assisted by the NSC(National Sports Council), the CBA decided to field a "RE-STRUCURE COMMITTEE" after a five-hour marathon meeting on November 3. In order to test the local response and keep the fans' interest of the league, it also agreed to schedule a series of warnup games within the next two months.
Mars head coach CHUN CHI-MUN and three-time champion Hong-kuo Elephant owner LIN HONG-DAO were named the co-chairman of the committee, which includes six GMs of CBA teams and a official from the NSC.
Excluded the Dacin Tigers, who finished dead last in the league four consecutive years, the other five teams agreed to participate the warmup games. Because of earlier feud with NSC president CHAO LI-YUN, Dacin owner WANG JEN-DA said the Tigers will not play in the warmup games and threatened to pull the team out of the league.
Wang, who refused the NSC's request to head the committee in October, claimed that the league's No.1 priority is a new arena, which can be built within three or four months. He also expressed his concerns about the league's rush to re-start a new season.
Will the CBA start on March 3, 2000?(Originally scheduled re-opening date: January 14, 2000) There's no any agreement reached in the meeting regarding this issue. However, the committee did promise to look into several important issues, including a new competition system, player trade rules and draft rules to make the new CBA better.
(Notes) Taiwan NT and CBA All-Stars will play a charity game on Nov.7 with all revenues donating to the refugees in the massive earthquake, which hit Taiwan on September 21.