The Sports Administration at the Ministry of Education is “in the running” for the Nobel Peace Prize this year for its contribution to cross-strait ties, a source with knowledge of discussions held by the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
Officials at the agency refused to comment, but following an all-expenses-paid night out on Linsen S Road, an official at the agency, who wished to remain anonymous, shed more light on the possibility of the prestigious award heading to Taipei.
“It all started when Taiwan beat China to win the Asian Games women’s team tennis gold medal in September last year. It was a disaster for the government’s cross-strait policy, Beijing was very upset,” the official said. “So it was decided, in the interests of the government’s cross-strait policy, that the Sports Administration’s mandate would be to discourage children participating in sports. It is a policy that was not difficult to implement, we had been working toward that goal for many years.”
Asked about a report in February that myopia had increased by more than 10 percent among second-grade elementary school students last year due to a lack of outdoor activities, the official became more animated.
“That is a benefit of the new policy. Look, we do not want kids growing up with good eyesight, they could excel at things like archery or darts,” the official said. “Have you ever heard of a professional Chinese darts player? No. If Taiwan had a professional darts player it would be disastrous.”
The source in Norway confirmed that the Nobel Committee had been impressed by the administration’s efforts to maintain the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait.
“They’re definitely in the running,” the source said. “However, when it comes to sports in Taiwan, they might be in the running, but that usually means they will finish last.”
Hookers and alcohol courtesy of Johnny Foreigner
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