A strong desire to win the gold medal in the 2010 world tug-of-war championships in Italy has made 12 teenaged girls give up staying slim and eat to gain weight so they can qualify for the games.
The girls, all students at Taipei Jingmei Girls High School, are members of the school’s tug-of-war team.
The team usually takes part in games in 480kg to 520kg cumulative team weight categore, school principal Lin Li-hua (林麗華) said.
PHOTO: CHIU SHAO-WEN, TAIPEI TIMES
However, the team began trying to gain weight so the cumulative weight of eight members would reach 540kg after learning that the Tug of War International Federation had lowered the minimum age to 16 years for this year’s world championships, and that they will only have the government’s funding if they enter the 540kg category, Lin said.
Over the past few months, each member of the team has had to eat a dinner big enough for two to three people.
Every team member weighs at least 10kg more than they did before the team decided to try for the international competition, coach Kuo Sheng (郭昇) said.
“I am touched and impressed by these girls’ determination, “ Kuo said.
Team leader Kuo Ya-ting (郭雅婷), who stands 157cm tall and weighs 48kg, said she has gained 12kg so far, adding: “I have never been so fat.”
Admitting that she was now reluctant to look at herself in the mirror, Kuo Ya-ting said she has vowed to bring home the gold medal from Italy.
Nine members of the team will be selected to take part in the 2010 World Indoor Championships.
The competition will take place from Feb. 25 to Feb. 28 in Cesenatico, Italy.
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