The Taiwan People News Culture and Arts Foundation yesterday announced the results of an Olympic flag design competition, with hopes award-winning designs might replace Taiwan’s Olympic flag, the foundation said.
Wang Chao-ching’s (王朝慶) De Facto Existence and International Coexistence won first prize, with AnnieC’s Taiwanese Olympic Team second and Lee Po-feng’s (李白峰) Pride of Taiwan, Top of the World claiming third.
Artist Chen Tzu-fu (陳子福), winner of a Golden Horse lifetime achievement award, was given special recognition, along with nine works named as finalists.
Photo: Liao Cheng-huei, Taipei Times
More than 200 entries were judged by a panel consisting of scriptwriter/director Wu Nien-jen (吳念真), graphic designer Nieh Yung-chen (聶永真), Olympic track and field medalist Chi Cheng (紀政), comic artist Yu-fu (魚夫) and University of Taipei professor of visual arts Su Jen-ming (蘇振明), foundation chairman Chen Yung-hsing (陳永興) said.
Chen said he would meet with officials from the Taipei City Government, the Presidential Office and the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee to discuss using the winning design at international competitions.
“The Taiwanese team participating in the next Olympic Games [in Tokyo in 2020] might not have to use the flag and anthem that are representative of the former party-state,” New Power Party Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) said.
“Taiwanese could participate in the Olympic Games under the name ‘Taiwan,’” Lim said.
“Taiwan, a free and democratic nation, should not accept that its flag, national anthem and title be controlled by others,” Su said.
“The competition engaged people to design flags out of love for the nation,” Su added.
“Of the 200-plus International Olympic Committee members, Taiwan is the only one that cannot compete under its national title, flag and anthem,” Chi said.
“Various associations were established using the plum flower — the national flower of the Republic of China — and a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) symbol when the flag was adopted in 1980,” Chi said.
“The nation’s Olympic flag design is a serious matter, but it was made hastily and carelessly when the nation was forced to adopt a new flag,” she said.
Had more time been taken, the design might have been executed more seriously and included public opinion, Chi said.
She said that she hopes spectators would be allowed to wave the winning flag at the Universiade student games that are to be held in Taipei in August.
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