Taiwan Prepares to Host World Games in 2009

The second half of 2009 will see Taiwan host two world-class sporting events, bringing athletes and spectators from around the globe to compete and savor the nation's culture and hospitality. From July 16 to 26, the eighth World Games will take place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second-largest city, while the 21st Summer Deaflympics will be held in the nation's capital, Taipei, from Sept. 5 to 15. Both metropolises are shifting into high gear to make ready.

During the Taipei Summer Deaflympics 365-day countdown ceremony, President Ma Ying-jeou lauded both of the upcoming events in Taipei and Kaohsiung, saying they would place Taiwan in the limelight and demonstrate to the world that the country will not be absent from any major international sporting events.

It is estimated that more than 5,200 athletes and officials from about 100 countries will participate in 26 official sports and five exhibition events in the 2009 Kaohsiung World Games.

The city currently is building two venues in preparation for the games. One is the state-of-the-art, multifunctional Kaohsiung Arena, with a seating capacity of 15,000. Popularly known as the xiaojudan, or little giant egg, it incorporates sports facilities, a department store and restaurants.

The other venue is the 50,000-seat main stadium, the first of its kind to utilize solar energy on a large scale. Solar panels installed on its roof will be capable of generating one million kilowatts of electricity annually. The open-top, crisscross, spiral-patterned exoskeleton, and its curved braces and buttresses give the impression of a flowing river. In addition, there are more than 20 other venues that will host World Games sporting events.

To gain experience in conducting sporting events in advance of the games, the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung Organizing Committee has been hosting international sporting events every year since 2006.

In the remaining three months of 2008, for example, it will conduct pre-games' gymnastics, korfball, French outdoor bowls and water skiing competitions.

``We expect the World Games to bring the city and people together for a better future, and that the tourism and sports industries will get a significant long-term boost," said Emily Cho-chuan Hsu, chief executive officer of the organizing committee.

In the north, the Taipei City Government (TCG) is leaving no stone unturned in its preparations for the Deaflympics. Emile Sheng, chairman of the TCG's Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, also doubling as chairman of the city's Deaflympics Steering Committee, enthused that the Deaflympics ― one of four categories of Olympics sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee, including the Paralympics, the Special Olympics and the Olympic Games ― will give Taipei the opportunity to show its infrastructure, rich culture and diverse society.

Speaking to guests at a luncheon arranged by the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei in early September, Sheng noted that a number of other events will be held around the same period, such as the Taipei Food Festival, the Taipei Art Festival and a small-scale version of the Taipei International Gardening and Horticultural Exposition to be held in 2010.

He expressed hope that these activities will help Taipei City prepare for larger-scale events in the years to come.

The TCG is sparing no effort to make the Deaflympics a memorable event for an anticipated 4,000 athletes from around 80 participating countries. Construction is well underway on sports facilities, including a new stadium next to the Taipei Arena, which will be ready for a pre-games trial run by April next year.

The organizing committee is providing international sign language courses to teach volunteers who will help out at the games. In addition, students from 80 high schools have been mobilized to cheer on the various national teams during the games.

On the first day of the one-year countdown to the Deaflympics, President Ma Ying-jeou recalled that at the 2005 Melbourne Summer Deaflympics, Taiwan athletes won eight gold, two silver and two bronze medals. He stated that with a home advantage at the 2009 Taipei Summer Deaflympics, local athletes could be expected to make an even better showing.