A university football coach in Taiwan has been accused of coercing female students to donate blood in exchange for graduation credits, an act many have described as “barbaric” and tantamount to physical abuse.
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The controversy exploded after a student, surnamed Jian, from the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU), came forward with disturbing allegations against Zhou Tai-ying, 61, a veteran football coach with a long-standing reputation in the island’s sports circles, South China Morning Post reported.
Jian claimed that Zhou forced players to undergo repeated blood draws – sometimes three times a day for as many as 14 consecutive days – threatening them with withheld academic credits, possible expulsion, and stalled graduation if they refused.
“It was truly blood and sweat for credit. I was practically boiling with rage! By the eighth consecutive day of blood draws, they could barely find a vein in either arm,” Jian wrote in a now-viral social media post, sharing a harrowing video of herself sobbing as a needle was repeatedly inserted into her wrist. “It took six tries before they finally succeeded!”
Jian alleges she endured more than 200 blood samples during her time at NTNU, all under the guise of participating in campus “research experiments.”
In reality, students say they were subjected to unsafe procedures often conducted by untrained personnel. Even more alarmingly, funds meant for research participants were reportedly redirected by Zhou under the label of “team funds.”
Other former students also started speaking out soon after. One unnamed student recounted being bullied into silence for years.
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The scandal has ignited widespread criticism of both the university’s handling of the matter and the apparent lack of criminal accountability.
Following mounting public pressure, NTNU released a statement on July 13 confirming that Zhou had been dismissed from her coaching and administrative duties and barred from future roles in campus sports.
The announcement also included a handwritten apology from Zhou: “I sincerely apologise for the harm caused to the students involved, to the faculty, and the university’s reputation. I deeply regret the emotional distress caused to the students and want to say sorry to all of you.”
However, in a move that has only intensified suspicion of a cover-up, both the apology and the official statement were removed from the university’s social media accounts days later.
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While local education authorities have issued an administrative penalty against NTNU and directed the university to take corrective measures, Zhou has yet to offer any public explanation beyond her apology.
