The EAST POWER men's volleyball team will enter Taiwan's first professional volleyball league with a brand-new look, and plans to make its home in the Tianmu area of Taipei. The club is actively assembling its roster and planning the flow of the game-day experience for fans, hoping to add more entertainment and urban rhythm on top of volleyball's traditional atmosphere and to build a volleyball culture that belongs to Taipei.

General Manager Michael Tsao said: "What we are building is a brand that can resonate with the city." Alongside roster building, EAST POWER has also begun sponsorship talks and does not rule out naming-rights partnerships in the future, while stressing that "no matter how the name changes, EAST POWER's style will not."

Reaching Beyond a Single Audience: Bringing Volleyball into More People's Lives

Taiwanese volleyball has real technical depth, but it has never entered the everyday view of the mainstream young audience. The EAST POWER club's strategy is to redefine the reason for coming to a game.

"What matters to us is that people don't come simply because they want to support volleyball, but because the atmosphere makes them want to stay." Michael Tsao noted that the club will work with KOLs, creators, and campus communities to generate buzz on social media and at in-person events, making volleyball one of the city's entertainment options. "If you like a lively crowd, a fast pace, and a sense of team, then come and feel it. That is what we are here to do."

Players Are Not Just Content; They Are Co-Creators of the Brand

"Passion alone cannot sustain volleyball over the long run." Michael Tsao, General Manager of the EAST POWER men's volleyball team, said that without real-world and commercial support, professional sport struggles to build a solid industrial foundation. Only when players' efforts carry market value, and fans' commitment drives the industry to expand, can the whole volleyball ecosystem gradually take shape and grow.

He stressed that in EAST POWER's team culture, players are not only competitors on the court but also co-creators of the club's brand. The team will help players build their personal image and expand their commercial exposure, so that fans no longer support only a team but genuinely follow and love each individual player.

"Players tell stories with us, shoot content with us, and step into commercial settings with us. We invest in social media operations, photography, and video production precisely because we want every player to be seen in the spotlight, not just a number on the scoreboard, but a protagonist who can build connections with fans and brands." Michael Tsao noted that when players' value is seen, the future of professional sport has more room to grow.

Broadening Horizons Across Asia: Showing Players More Possibilities

EAST POWER continues to talk with several professional teams in Japan and plans to hold international exchange matches in the future, and even to arrange cross-team interaction and overseas training for players. The club has also begun approaching foreign reinforcements, targeting promising emerging players in Asia and beyond, including France, Mongolia, and India, hoping that a diverse roster will raise the level of competition while expanding its market reach.

More Than a Home Arena: A Volleyball Hub for the City

The EAST POWER men's volleyball team plans to use the University of Taipei (Tianmu) Gymnasium as its home arena and is working on venue design and the flow of the spectator experience. The goal is not only to create a place to play games, but to build a volleyball entertainment space that resonates with the rhythm of the city.

"We believe an arena is not just a place for games, but somewhere people want to walk into on a weekend to feel the buzz and the company of others." General Manager Michael Tsao said the club will bring in light-and-sound performances, movable suites, themed cheering, and interactive design, so that spectators enjoy a complete immersive experience from the moment they arrive until they leave.

He further noted that watching volleyball should not be the preserve of hardcore fans; like baseball and basketball, it can become part of city culture. "We want to create an atmosphere where people want to meet up on the weekend to watch a game, not only because they support a particular team, but because it is a fun, engaging event. Volleyball deserves that kind of attention and participation, too."

The club stresses that future game days will combine performances, markets, and theme days, turning a match into a full day of city experience that draws young people and families, and gradually making "watching volleyball" part of life for Taipei residents.

Roster Revealed as the Team Actively Pursues Foreign Reinforcements

Besides Head Coach LEE Kuo-Yuan attending the season-opening press conference, EAST POWER players KAO Wei-Cheng, LIU Shao-Yu, CHIEN Hsien-Ming, and YANG Zi-Jie took part in a charity volleyball match, showing the team's social responsibility and influence. Michael Tsao also revealed that the team is in talks with top players from countries such as India and Mongolia, hoping to add stronger firepower to the roster.

"We Want to Define a Volleyball Culture"

With the professional league about to launch, the EAST POWER club is also playing the role of a pioneer in this transformation. General Manager Michael Tsao said he hopes to turn the experience he has accumulated in marketing and startups into momentum for upgrading the sports industry, so that volleyball is no longer just a game but a way of life people can identify with and take part in.

"We hope to create an environment where children in the future can proudly say: when I grow up, I want to be a volleyball player." Michael Tsao said such a future will not appear out of thin air; it has to be built starting with this generation. He stressed that EAST POWER will continue to use entertainment-minded packaging, professional operations, and clear positioning to bring volleyball back into city life and truly into more people's hearts.