The 2004 Athens Olympic Games, which are the biggest in Olympic history -- involving over 11,099 athletes, 20,000 reporters and costing over US$20 billion -- were to be launched last night with a splendiferous opening ceremony.
After 108 years, the Olympic Games returned to their home country, Greece, and the games will last 17 days, allowing over 11,099 athletes to compete for 301 gold medals in 35 disciplines.
Seventy-five members of Team Taiwan -- including athletes and staff -- were to be led by flag-bearer Chen Chih-yuan (
The ceremony was to begin at 2am Taiwan time, and the Athens Olympic Organization Committee was, as usual, keeping the details of the ceremony secret.
The committee said that Mihalis Hatzigiannis, a male singer who is popular in Greece, will sing the Athens Olympic theme and Yannis Kotsiras, also a famous Greek singer, will sing the Olympic theme song, while Bjork, the elfin Icelandic chanteuse, will perform at the end of the parade.
Vowing to win the country's first gold medal, Team Taiwan is placing its hope in two Taekwondo athletes -- Chu Mu-yen (朱木炎) in the men's category and Chen Shih-hsin (陳詩欣) in the female category. Team Taiwan said it expects to bring home at least six medals.
Other possible disciplines in which Team Taiwan might earn medals include archery (female), shooting (female), weightlifting (male), table tennis (male, single and double) and baseball.
The coaches of Taiwan's female softball team and Judo team also expressed confidence of making it to the finals and said they are looking forward to winning medals.
As for the baseball team, although some foreign sports commentators say that Taiwan ranks sixth among the competing teams, Team Taiwan's coach, Hsu Sheng-ming (徐生明), pledged that his team will beat its first two opponents -- the Canadian and Australian teams -- and gain at least four wins during the seven preliminary games to make it to the final qualifications.
The baseball team is scheduled to play Canada on Aug. 15 and Hsu said that Chang Chih-chia (張誌家), who plays in Japan's professional league, or Wang Jien-ming (王建民), who plays for the New York Yankee's minor league team, will be the starting pitcher, while Tsao Chin-hui (曹錦輝), who plays for the Colorado Rockies, may be closer.
"Team Japan, which is organized with the best professional players, may be the most hopeful of getting the gold medal," said senior baseball commentator Tseng Wen-cheng (曾文城). "However, their weakness may be that they are too confident."
Taiwan's best table tennis athlete, Chuang Chih-yuan (莊智淵), who ranks fifth, faces a tough challenge on the road to winning a gold medal, because he has to defeat China's Wang Hao, who ranks fourth worldwide, in the quarterfinals and Wang Liqin (
Also see stories:
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS