At the end of this month, dozens of athletes from Taiwan will take part in the summer Olympiad to be held in London from July 27 to August 12. Although the Republic of China (ROC) made its Olympic debut in 1932, the country’s unique position in the international community resulted in its sporadic presence at the games from the 1950s to the 1970s. Just more than three decades have passed since Taiwan’s representatives signed a protocol with the International Olympic Committee that allows the ROC to participate in the Olympic Games under the name Chinese Taipei.
While the country’s total Olympic medal haul to date is just 19 medals, the value of taking part in this iconic event extends throughout Taiwanese society. For one thing, the games unite the country in support of its sportsmen and women. At the Beijing summer games in 2008, for example, people throughout Taiwan watched transfixed as taekwondo athlete Su Li-wen (蘇麗文) battled serious injury bout after bout, only to miss out on a bronze medal by one point. Su’s gutsy performance earned her heartfelt accolades from fans, the media and even President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), and ensured her status as a national heroine.
National pride is certainly not limited to spectators, however. Most of Taiwan’s Olympic athletes agree that the chance to represent the nation is among their greatest motivations to compete at the elite level. There is also the pride of giving one’s best performance and prevailing against the world’s top opponents. For those competitors, even the government’s considerable financial awards for gold, silver or bronze prize winners are secondary to the chance to step on to the podium for Taiwan and the lifelong glory conferred by an Olympic medal.
To reach that level of ability requires years of dedication and hard work, of course. That effort makes the participation of Taiwan’s Olympic athletes an inspiration for the country’s young people to pursue their own dreams in or out of the sports arena.
This year, it is estimated some 40 competitors from Taiwan will represent the country in a wide range of sports. Taiwan is well known for its talent in archery, table tennis and taekwondo, but will also field athletes in events including cycling, fencing, rifle shooting, weightlifting and windsurfing.
To support these athletes, the Cabinet-level Sports Affairs Council (SAC) offers a wide range of subsidies, including sponsorship to attend the National Sports Training Center in Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan, the nation’s premier sports training facility.
That is only part of the sports-development equation, however, as the SAC also has an eye on fostering the next generation of champions. To do so, the council has funded numerous grassroots programs, such as the NT$200 million (US$6.67 million) per year set aside as financial aid for student athletes throughout Taiwan from primary school to the college level.
Moreover, the government is working to boost the sports industry in general. This is an important move so that young athletes, or perhaps their parents, can feel reassured that after all the years of devotion to training and competition, there will be employment opportunities once a competitor retires from a sport.
This summer, the world will follow the London games from the opening ceremony, through the numerous heats, to no doubt thrilling finals and eventual medal awards.
Somewhere among the hundreds of thousands of fans viewing the games from Taiwan, the country’s future athletes will be watching and perhaps dreaming of their own Olympic victories. Long after the excitement is over, the government will be working to ensure there is adequate support for the sports stars of tomorrow to pursue their dreams.