Taiwan athletes to depart for Asian Games in Busan

A 120-member group, part of the Chinese Taipei team scheduled to take part in the Asian Games slated for Sept. 29-Oct. 14 in Busan, will depart for the South Korean city today to prepare for competition.

The group, including 89 athletes, will be headed by Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee Vice Chairman Chuang Tsun-tse (莊村徹) and Chinese Taipei Sports Federation Vice President Tsai Tsi-chuei (蔡賜爵).

Taiwan's highest-level official in charge of sports affairs, Lin Teh-fu (林德福), who is chairman of the National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, is scheduled to depart for Pusan Sept. 26, while Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee Chairman Thomas Huang (黃大洲) is scheduled to arrive in Pusan Sept. 28.

Nearly 500 people, including 354 athletes and 90 coaches, from Taiwan's sports sector will fly to South Korea before Sept. 28 for the Pusan Asian Games.

Chinese Taipei athletes have registered to participate in 33 of the 38 events at the games.

Taiwan lit its torch for the 2002 Pusan Asian Games in the central county of Nantou last Thursday with much fanfare. President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Premier Yu Shyi-kun attended the ceremony, during which a Bunun tribal leader lit the torch in a traditional ritual amid performances of aboriginal songs and dances. He then passed the torch to Chen, Yu, Chinese Huang and nine other "torch ambassadors."

Two Taiwanese air carriers -- Far East Air Transport and Trans Asia Airways -- have been given permission to operate chartered flights between Taipei and Pusan between Sept. 27 and Oct. 18 to facilitate the transportation of Taiwan athletes and sports fans during the Pusan Asian Games.

Direct air links between Taiwan and South Korea were cut off shortly after Seoul switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in August 1993.