President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday handed over the Olympic flag to the national team in a ceremony in Kaohsiung, where he also awarded them a NT$200,000 bonus, weeks ahead of the opening of the Summer Games in Paris.
Speaking at the National Sports Training Center, Lai congratulated the 60 athletes on qualifying for the Games, to be held from July 26 to Aug. 11, praising them for their tireless training and emphasizing the government’s commitment to supporting them as they seek to bring glory to the nation.
Taiwanese athletes are to compete in 16 categories, including shooting, archery, badminton, table tennis and boxing.
Photo: Lee Hui-chou, Taipei Times
The support provided for the national team in Paris would be “more extensive” than before, including a canteen offering Taiwanese cuisine, a training facility in the French capital for the exclusive use of Taiwanese athletes and a medical station with hyperbaric oxygen therapy equipment, Lai said.
The president urged the athletes to “not hesitate” and “just bring home the medals,” adding that at the Tokyo Games in 2021, the national team won 12 medals, comprising two golds, four silvers and six bronzes.
He made the remarks after presenting the Olympic flag to Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee president Lin Hong-dow (林鴻道) at the ceremony marking the national team’s readiness to depart for France.
The president also awarded the NT$200,000 bonus to the team, which was received on their behalf by weightlifter Chen Wen-huei (陳玟卉), who won a bronze medal in the women’s 64kg weight class at the Tokyo Olympics.
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