“In holding large-scale sporting events such as the Deaflympics and World Games, we are sending a message to the world that Taiwan is ready, willing and able to take its rightful place in the international community,” President Ma Ying-jeou said Aug. 26 in an exclusive interview with “Taiwan Today.” “Events such as these showcase the nation’s sporting prowess and highlight the people of Taiwan’s willingness to work hard and achieve in all facets of life.”
Speak to Taipei’s civic leaders, and it is clear that the 21st Summer Deaflympics is the centerpiece of efforts to promote the nation and its capital city as something more than a world-renowned high-tech manufacturing hub. The hope is that the games will be a catalyst for renewed investment in infrastructure, improvement and change.
“This is the first time the Deaflympics have been staged in an Asian country,” Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin told “Taiwan Today” in an exclusive interview Aug. 20. “It is also the highest-profile sporting event ever to be held in the capital. From this perspective, there is no denying that Taipei is an established global city capable of putting on an event of this magnitude.”
For the people of Taiwan, the games mean something more profound altogether. It is an opportunity for the country to stake a place among the better-known nations of the world. This will be accomplished through showcasing Taiwan’s world-class infrastructure and rich vein of culture and history, which remains undiminished despite the country’s breakneck race to industrialize.
“Hosting the Deaflympics is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Taiwan,” Emile Sheng, CEO of the 2009 Deaflympics Organizing Committee said Sept. 1. “We believe this opportunity will put Taiwan’s environmental and cultural beauty on the global stage. The prestige associated with such an event also gives Taipei a much needed leg-up to becoming a big league city.”
Therein lies the greatest expectation associated with the games. “We are not just the capital of a major manufacturing nation,” Hau said, who doubles as DOC president. “Holding the Deaflympics helps resolve the longstanding issue of how to increase the city and nation’s international profile and participation level.”
Ma similarly believes the Deaflympics play an important role in Taiwan’s relations with other nations. “Sport is a peaceful tool that can be used to foster ties with countries in the absence of diplomatic relations,” he said. “People everywhere love sport as it is a pure pursuit with a common basis that we can all agree on. It creates a straightforward foundation that allows people and nations to build relations.”
Yet in addition to boosting Taiwan’s profile and improving its international relations, an equally important priority stemming from the games is raising public awareness of the need to care for the disabled. “The main purpose of the games is to support the hearing impaired,” Sheng said.
“The holding of the Deaflympics shows that Taiwan cares about deaf people and their health,” Ma said. “Deaf athletes have to overcome greater challenges than their hearing counterparts to compete in sporting events. Their inspirational accomplishments both on and off the field of contest should serve as a reminder to us all that there can be no greatness without struggle. It is important to keep this in mind as we go about our daily lives and work together toward building a better future for Taiwan.”
Hau said the sporting exploits and background stories of deaf athletes function as a strong motivation for Taiwan’s younger generation. “We hope the event will help increase awareness of the needs and concerns of the deaf in all sections of society.”
Respecting the needs and concerns of the deaf is something the city has long made part of its plans when developing facilities for the hearing-impaired. Unlike many of Asia’s metropolises, Taipei is considered a deaf-friendly city, equipped with all the all the requisite infrastructure.
Hau said the Taipei City Government has a long history of working with celebrities who devote themselves to improving the lots of minority groups, such as NBA great Scottie Pippen and Hong Kong singer Aaron Kwok. This approach has earned the city an international reputation as one that cares for the disabled.
It is no idle boast, then, for Sheng to state that organizers working in conjunction with the local and central governments have put everything in place for staging the “most successful games in the history of the Deaflympics.”
“The 2005 Melbourne edition of the games was the best ever, but we are confident of surpassing this achievement,” he said. “At the Taipei Deaflympics, the number of sports has increased from 14 to 20 and we expect the highest level of athlete participation to date.”
With the table set for a memorable Deaflympics, a follow-up to the sporting success Taiwan tasted during Kaohsiung’s World Games would be the icing on the cake for a nation increasingly looking to flex its sporting muscle. “Taiwan’s athletes turned in excellent performances at the last Deaflympics,” Hau said. “We hope our team can improve on that performance this year.”
In 2005, Taiwan’s Melbourne Deaflympics contingent won a total of eight gold, four silver, and two bronze medals, finishing fifth in the medal count among 82 participating nations for the country’s best-ever showing. At this year’s Taipei games, local athletes are expected to break this record and medal in bowling, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, swimming and the marathon.
Many see mega-events such as the Deaflympics and World Games as playing an important role in boosting sports participation in Taiwan. Consequently, this can lead to improved national sporting performances that positively impact on a country’s confidence. “When athletes come together to compete in international competition, there can be no finer example of the benefits sporting activity delivers to the individual and society at large,” Ma said.
Although sport has long been an important part of Taiwan, the president said, greater efforts must be made to ensure that the younger generation is given every opportunity to experience a wider variety of sporting activities. “This participation lays the groundwork for a healthier society better equipped to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.”
The Deaflympics runs from Sept. 5 to 15, with organizers expecting 5,000 athletes from 98 countries and regions to compete in 20 sports. Taipei City and County will host the majority of events, but swimming and shooting are set down for Hsinchu and Taoyuan counties, respectively. Admission to all sporting competitions during the 11-day event is free. For more information on the 21st Summer Deaflympics, visit http://www.2009deaflympics.org/.
Write to Jean Brisebois at ttonline@mail.gio.gov.tw