Saying “I will attend the Deaflympics in Taipei” using sign language, tens of thousands of athletes, students and guests, including President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and actor Jackie Chan (成龍), gathered yesterday in Taipei to start the countdown to next year’s Deaflympics in Taipei.
The 21st Summer Deaflympics will be held from Sept. 5 to Sept. 15 in Taipei and Hsinchu. They will be the first major international sports event the city has organized.
About 3,600 athletes from more than 80 countries will participate, the Taipei City Deaflympics preparatory committee said. Spectators will be allowed to wave the Republic of China’s (ROC) national flag at the auditorium in support of the athletes, the committee said.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, AP
Joining tens of thousands of people for the theme song “sign-along” in front of Taipei City Hall, Ma said he expected the event to increase the city’s international visibility.
“The central government will increase the subsidy to Taipei City and we will definitely support the event. Hopefully the world will know more about Taipei thanks to the games,” Ma said.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) vowed to make the event a success and called on all Taipei residents to support the event and let the world learn about the city’s passion, friendliness and its care for minorities.
Actress Lin Ching-hsia (林青霞), pop singer A-mei (張惠妹) and weightlifters Chen Wei-ling (陳葦綾) and Lu Ying-chi (盧映錡) — who both won bronze medals at the Beijing Olympics — also attended the launch ceremony.
Hau said he had invited former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani to speak at next year’s event, and that more guests would be invited.
The Deaflympics, formerly known as the Deaf World Games, were first held in Paris in 1924.
Taipei won the bid to host next year’s event in 2003. Over 11 days, athletes will compete in 18 sports, including track and field, badminton, basketball and bowling, the committee said.
Taiwanese won nine gold metals, four silver medals and three bronze medals in the 2005 Deaflympics in Melbourne, Australia.
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