Taiwan pulled in three medals in the opening day of competition at the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung yesterday as some events were rescheduled out of concerns about looming severe weather.
Huang Yu-ting won Taiwan’s first gold of the World Games in the women’s 300m speed rollerskating final, while compatriot Hsu Chiao-jen won the silver medal.
Lo Wei-lin brought Taiwan its second gold medal in the men’s final of the same event.
PHOTO: CNA
In the dragonboat races Taiwan took second place in the 2,000m final and third place in the 200m final. As it is an invitational sport, no medals were awarded.
CHINESE BOYCOTT
Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yeh Yi-jin (葉宜津) said yesterday the Chinese team’s boycott of the Games’ opening ceremony on Thursday means that China denies Taiwan’s status as a sovereign state and President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) claim that Beijing accepts “one China with different interpretations” is a lie.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
The boycott showed that Beijing always harbors a political agenda about Taiwan and that Ma’s reconciliation with Beijing is a failure, she said.
DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃) also said Ma failed to refer to himself as the president of Republic of China (ROC) during the opening ceremony, and instead used the word “I.”
Ma did not take the opportunity to proclaim to the world that Taiwan is a sovereign state because he did not want to offend Beijing, Chen said.
The KMT’s Central Policy Committee Director Lin Yi-shih (林益世) yesterday asked the DPP not to apply political ideology to sports.
STORM
With Tropical Storm Molave looking like it will cause heavy rainfall and strong winds in Taiwan, Liu Shih-fang (劉世芳) of the 2009 Kaohsiung Organizing Committee (KOC) said officials will make a decision on how to deal with the coming storm. Liu said that the KOC will keep an eye on things and will provide umbrellas and other wet weather gear to spectators.
Liu said that the KOC will keep in close contact with the Central Weather Bureau to decide whether planned tournaments will need to be postponed.
Air sports events were postponed today because of the effects of the storm. Accuracy Jumping was stopped after only two rounds. The event had already been postponed due to bad weather throughout the day and it was too dark for the event to continue by the time the rest of the competitors were ready to go on. The event will be continued tomorrow. Canopy piloting proceedings went smoothly while freeflying was also stopped prematurely.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG AND STAFF WRITER
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Also See: THE WORLD GAMES 2009 KAOHSIUNG: Speed rollerskater seizes nation’s first Games gold
Also See: THE WORLD GAMES 2009 KAOHSIUNG: Taiwan’s dragon boat teams make strong Kaohsiung start
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