The 2026 National Intercollegiate Athletic Games (NIAG) wrapped up on May 6, with National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) making a significant mark on the national stage. Represented by a dedicated team of 130 athletes, the university delivered a powerhouse performance, bringing home 4 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze medals. Beyond the podium finishes, NPUST athletes secured an additional 27 placements between fourth and eighth place, proving the team’s consistency across various disciplines. This impressive haul placed NPUST 21st in the overall medal standings among 167 participating colleges and universities. By finishing in the top tier of competitors nationwide, the university has firmly demonstrated its “deep competitive strength” and continued its tradition of athletic excellence.
Even before the opening ceremony, the NPUST Table Tennis Team took an early lead with two medals. Kai-Yi Huang from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Hsin-Yang Liao from the Department of Civil Engineering teamed up to take second place in the Men’s General Division Doubles, securing the school’s first silver of the games. Freshman Hung-Chieh Liao (Department of Mechanical Engineering) won bronze in the Men’s General Division Singles. The team also secured four 5th-place finishes, boosting the morale of the entire university delegation.
NPUST was particularly dominant in combat sports. In Karate, freshman Ting-Wei Kang from the Department of Recreation Sport and Health Promotion won the gold medal in the Men’s General Division (Third Weight Class), capturing the school’s first gold of the games. On the same day, his teammate Chun-Jui Liao took silver in the First Weight Class. On the final day of the competition, junior Po-Yu Chen added another silver in the Men’s Open Division (Fifth Weight Class). The Judo and Wrestling Team also performed admirably; Yung-Wei Lu from the Department of Plant Medicine won silver in the Women’s General Division Judo (First Weight Class) in her second NIAG appearance.
The Woodball Team collected 2 silvers and 1 bronze this year. Tsai-Chieh Lin and Yao-Yi Yang from the Department of Recreation Sport and Health Promotion narrowly missed gold to take silver in the Men’s General Division Stroke Doubles. They later teamed up with newcomers Yu-Han Hsu, Chien-Ming Tseng (both from the Bachelor Program in Scientific Agriculture), and Yung-Hsuan Chung from the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering to win another silver in the Men’s General Division Stroke Team event. In the Women’s General Division, veterans Ya-Ching Chang (Environmental Engineering), Yu-Ting Su, and Yu-Chi Tseng (both from the Department of Fashion Design and Management) led newcomers Meng-Hsuan Yu, Hsin-Yi Hung, and Chia-Yun Wu to a bronze medal in the team event.
In Cycling, Hsi-Rui Chou (Department of Recreation Sport and Health Promotion) showed strong individual capability, placing 5th in both the Men’s Open Division 1km Time Trial and the Tempo Race, while also finishing 6th in the Points Race and 8th in the Individual Pursuit.
In Tennis, senior Yi-Chun Hung from the Department of Agribusiness Management partnered with Po-Jui Chen from the Department of Civil Engineering for the first time. After fighting through the qualifiers in March, they reached the main draw and ultimately secured a bronze medal.
The Track and Field Team earned 1 gold and 1 silver. Notably, senior Po-Chang Huang from the Department of Biomechatronics Engineering achieved a “four-peat” in the Men’s General Division Pole Vault, successfully defending his gold medal for the fourth consecutive year. Yi-Chen Liao, a first-year master’s student in the Department of Food Science, took silver in the Women’s Open Division Pole Vault.
In Swimming, Chan-Chun Yang (Master’s Program for Professionals, Department of Recreation Sport and Health Promotion) won gold in the Men’s General Division 200m Breaststroke. This marked the first time in 16 years that NPUST won gold in a swimming event at the NIAG! Yang also placed 4th in the 100m Breaststroke, inspiring teammate Ching-Mei Huang (Department of Agribusiness Management) to take 4th in the Women’s General Division 200m Breaststroke.
Finally, the Badminton Team saw active professional player Chiu-Pin Tung (Master’s Program for Professionals, Department of Recreation Sport and Health Promotion) win gold in the Women’s Open Division Singles, securing NPUST’s final gold medal. She also teamed up with classmate Yi-Ting Hung to win bronze in the Women’s Open Division Doubles. The Men’s General Division Team also broke records by winning the first team bronze in the school’s history.
NPUST expressed its gratitude to all athletes for facing challenges head-on and creating such brilliant results. The university also thanked the faculty for the long-term support they have been giving to physical education, and for helping NPUST to continue breaking records and reaching new heights.
