Tokyo: Nibun Chorus, an Indigenous singing group from Kaohsiung, clinched a gold medal at the Tokyo International Choir Competition despite challenges posed by China’s interference over Taiwan’s national identity during the event.

According to Focus Taiwan, Nibun Chorus triumphed in the folklore music section of the three-day competition, scoring 95.9 points. They outperformed fellow Kaohsiung choir Bukulavu Children Art Troupe, Nantou County’s Sinapalan Bunun Children’s Choir, and seven other international choirs.

The victory was overshadowed by a dispute that erupted on Saturday concerning the recognition of Taiwan. During the second day of the competition, Taiwan’s teams were asked to consent to the removal of their flag and to compete under the name “Chinese Taipei,” following a complaint from China.

In a Facebook post, Nibun Chorus’s conductor revealed that organizers informed them of this change during their practice session. The team had previously been identified as representing Taiwan during the first two days of the event.

The request led the choir to seek support from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan. The office intervened late Saturday to address the issue with the competition’s organizers.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Yi-ying, along with Chairman Keiji Furuya of the Japan-ROC Diet Members’ Consultative Council, also advocated against the changes. Despite these efforts, organizers proceeded to announce the Taiwanese choirs as from “Chinese Taipei” on Sunday and removed all national flags from the venue.

Since the competition’s beginning in 2018, teams from Taiwan had been using the name “Taiwan.” The term “Chinese Taipei” is commonly used for Taiwan in international sports events and Olympic-related activities since 1981.

When Nibun Chorus was declared the winner, its members made a symbolic gesture across their chests, reminiscent of Taiwanese baseball player Chen Chieh-hsien’s action during the 2024 WBSC Premier12, highlighting the absence of “Taiwan” on their uniforms.

A group member explained, “There’re no words there, but everyone gets it,” referring to the lack of recognition for Taiwan in international settings. In a gesture of compromise, event organizers prepared two versions of the winning certificate for Nibun, one stating “Taiwan” and the other “Chinese Taipei.”

The competition’s English and Japanese websites still listed “Taiwan” and displayed its official flag at the time of reporting.