233 C h a p t e r 1 5 S o s f A l

Chapter 15 Sports for All

The promotion of sports for all is defined by the Taipei City as a guiding principle for implementing sports development on the grassroots level. With that in mind, the city actively provides counseling assistance and incorporates resources from various sports organizations in the private sector to conduct healthful activities suitable for various age groups and sports communities. Sports education in schools is further implemented with the setup of basic training stations, rewarding and training sports talents extraordinaire. Also, the city organizes a variety of international tournaments, improving sports facilities and fulfilling the vision of establishing community-centered sports and leisure activities, inaugurating Sports Centers and completing riverside sports park facilities for use to encourage citizens' involvement in sports activities, so as to fashion Taipei into an international-class healthy city. 234 lourishing sports development is recognized as a crucial indicator for measuring a

T nation's modernization level. Taipei City is the nation's capital, and pressure from T F a a

i busy lifestyles in the face of the rapid social transitions and speedy industrial and i p p e

e commercial developments increases sharply. To encourage citizens to partake in sports i i

Y Y activities and build a dynamic and healthy city, the city is actively creating a favorable e e a a climate for sports for all. A variety of measures are being undertaken in hopes of r r b b

o promoting sports technology standards, sports exchanges with other cities and developing o o o sports tourism as short-term goals; the long-term objectives are: upgrading the lifestyle k k

2

2 quality of citizens, promoting sports participation, increasing the number of regular 0 0 0

0 sports activity participants and enhancing the psychosomatic wellbeing for all. 8 8

Part1 Promoting Exercise for All

The Taipei City Government organizes sports events and carnivals suitable for all age groups and for families on New Year's Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, the National Holiday, National Brisk Walking Day, and National Mountain Climbing Day in hopes of building a healthy city, enriching lifestyle quality for citizens, and fulfilling the goal of sports participation for all. A team of athletes representing Taipei also joined the screening, training, and counseling in partaking in the“National Athletic Games”and the“National Handicapped Citizens' Games,”as well as participation in national tournaments. In 2008, teams representing Taipei for the“National Athletic Games”and the“National Handicapped Citizens' Games”won awards of excellence. Additionally, the City Government actively provides guidance and assistance to various private sports organizations to promote an array of events in conducting the Youth Cup and Zhungzheng Cup tournaments. Moreover, the city offers opportunities to various communities and groups to partake in healthful activities and sports events by coordinating and conducting the“Senior Games,”the“Handicapped Citizens' Leisure and Sports Games,”and the“National Orphanage Sports Meet,”encouraging citizens to join healthful leisure and sports activities to enhance physical and mental fitness.

1. Road Runs To encourage sports participation for all and enhance physical and mental fitness for Taipei citizens, the City Government organizes many road runs throughout the year. These road runs are mostly conducted on the city's downtown roadways on holidays as a move to follow the footsteps of major international metropolitan leisure road runs, offering citizens the joy of jogging along wooded avenues. In recent years, road run routes have included the Dajia Riverside Park and inside the water valve, as well as Taipei City's downtown roadways. In addition to ensuring the rights of the pedestrians, the immense meadow spaces also allow participating citizens to enjoy frisbee, softball, biking and other leisure activities that promote parent-child bonding. City-wide road runs in 2008 attracted over 40,000 participants, including“The New Year's Day Flag-Raising and Road Run”on January 1,“Root The 2008 Samsung Energy Road Run. 235 C h a p t e r 1 5 S o s f for 's Olympians and Win in Beijing – the 2008 Adidas Road Run”on April 20,“The 6th Supau Cup Road Run Tournament”on May 4, and“The 2008 Nike Human Race Global Road Run”on August 31,“The 921 Love and Peace Sustainability Road Run and Fair,”and“The National Day Flag- Raising and Road Run”on October 10,“The 2008 Samsung Energy Road Run”on October 19,“The 20th Mass Mutual Mercuries Qiaofu Cup Road A l Run”on October 26,“The 2008 PUMA Nightscape Road Run”on November 15, from December 13 to 25,“Seeing the Intersection of Hope – the Challenge Road Run Around Taiwan”kicked off, and the 1,100- The 20th Mass Mutual Mercuries Qiaofu Cup Road Run. km race around Taiwan was opened to visually- impaired runners. These dynamic events are conducted to continuously enhance fitness, and create a new outlook and vitality for citizens, truly fashioning Taipei into a sports-centered metropolis.

2. Taiwan Bike Day Taipei City's bike trails are measured at 166 kilometers in total, including 60 kilometers within the city premises and 106 kilometers around riverside parks. Taiwan Bike Day kicked off simultaneously across Taiwan's 25 counties and cities. The Taipei leg was hosted by the Taipei City Government on May 4, 2008, hashing out a 6.5-km bike route that stretched from the Dajia Riverside Park to the plaza by Office of the President, and featured a creative bike float parade, attracting over 1,000 bikers to take part in this pollution-free, fuel-efficient and eco-friendly event, and bike their way toward a healthy and joyful lifestyle.

Parades and activities on the plaza by Office of the President. 236 T a i p

e 3. National Handicapped Citizens' Games i

Y The“National Handicapped Citizens' e

a Games”were held from May 23 to 26, r b 2008, in Hualian County; contest categories o

o included 13 official competitive sports, such k

2 as Swimming, Track and Field, Table Tennis, 0

0 Badminton, Basketball, Weight Lifting, Archery, 8

Tennis, Judo, Shooting, , Billiards, and Bowling, and other friendship competitions, such as Petanque, and floor Petanque. A total of 550 Taipei City Government staff members represented Taipei in the Games, winning 251 gold medals, 116 silver and 89 bronze, for a Taipei City's team for the National Handicapped Citizens' Games total of 456 medals and taking first place for the in Taipei City receive ovations. overall number of trophies.

4. Taipei Waterfront Dragon Boat Carnival The Dragon Boat Festival is one of Taiwan's most vibrant folk holidays, with dragon boat races serving as the centerpiece of the Dragon Boat Festival. These races are highly entertaining and constructive in fostering teamwork among rowers. The“2008 Taipei Waterfront Dragon Boat Carnival”was held between June 6 and 8, 2008, beginning at the Keelung stretch of the Dajia Riverside Park, attracting over 50,000 participants, a testament to Mayor Hau Lung-bin's vision to promote

Competition was fierce among dragon boat teams. 237 C h a p t e r 1 5 S o s f waterfront activities, increase citizen participation in water sports, and expand the number of water sports partakers by joining the dragon boat races, manifesting Taipei's personality as a“waterfront cultural technology metropolis.”

5. Slow Softball League Matches To increase the number of softball players and offer citizens a dynamic leisure activity, the preliminary contests for the“Slow Softball League Mayor Hau Lung-bin presided over the dragon boat eye- A l dotting ceremony. Matches”were held every Saturday and Sunday from June through August, 2008, at Meiti, Yingfeng, Rainbow, Bailing and Shuangyuan Softball Fields. Postseason games were organized every Saturday and Sunday from August through October at Meiti Softball Field. The matches featured 235 leagues with more than 2,000 players, with over 1,000 spectators. Four teams, including Shanghai Pharmaceutical Union, the Star Squads, Guting Volunteer Firefighter Detachment and Computer won team titles in the Health, Joy, Friendship and Freshness categories. Taipei City's softball participants grew significantly Slow Softball League Matches. and more friendships were fostered during the events.

6. Cheerleading Championships The championships were held on October 18, 2008 at Taipei Municipal Shipai Junior High School, with twenty-three teams and 700 players from middle schools, high schools, social organizations and children's groups taking part. Social organizations had the best skills and routines, with seven teams registering for the contest. Squads from different age groups learned new techniques and tips by watching others, so the event was constructive in improving the athletic skills of cheerleaders from schools and social organizations.

7. Brisk Walking In encouraging citizens to participate in sports and leisure activities on weekends and holidays and promote brisk walking across the city, on October 19, 2008, the“2008 Maokong Mountain Climbing, Brisk Walking, Road Run and Mountain View Activities”were held, with routes in the scenic Muzha tea country. Participants enjoyed the Cheerleaders win rounds of applause with their amazing routines. 238 T a i p pleasant views of Maokong's tea gardens, mountain-crossing roadways and riverside parks outside the e i

embankment. The competition was divided into several groups: matches, mountaineering, adolescent Y

e relays and youth relays, attracting about 3,500 people. On November 8, 2008, the“2008 Taipei Daan a

r ”

b Forest Park Afternoon Brisk Walking Carnival was conducted, with health and eco-protection as the o themes. Activities included brisk walking, jogging, free physicals, government campaign booths, and o

k community club performances, drawing about 2,000 participants.

2 0 0

8 8. National Athletic Games

The“2008 National Athletic Games”kicked off from October 25 to 29 in Kaohsiung City. Taipei City's representative team took part in 19 events, including , Martial Arts, Kendo, Wrestling, Taichi, Roller Skating, Athletic Dance, Handball (beach handball), Lifeguarding, Kayaking (water polo in canoes), Frisbee, Jujitsu, Petanque, Croquet, Wood Ball, Slow Softball, Folk Athletics, Yuanchi Dance and Dodge Ball. A total of 356 individuals Taipei City representative athletes in a group photo. participated in the events. The number of contestants and staff members reached the figure of 519. Taipei City's athletes won 18 gold medals, 15 silver and 23 bronze, totaling 56 medals and ranking 4th among all counties and cities.

9. Handicapped Citizens' Leisure and Sports Games As a move to highlight sports practices and space utilization for Taipei City's handicapped citizens, and boost their participation in such games, the“Handicapped Citizens' Leisure and Sports Games”were held on November 1, 2008 at the Taipei Municipal Zhonglun Senior High School, with the participation of 735 handicapped athletes and 113 team staff members from the twelve administrative district halls for a total of 848 participants. The athletes were comprised of the physically, visually, intellectually, mentally challenged and the hearing-impaired. The games were conducted as a fun contest, featuring twelve categories: Pinpoint hoop-shooting, the Obstacle Race, Ogling, I'm the Man, Heaven-sent Fortune, A Joyful Entrance, Hole-in-One, Color-ball Pitching and Relay, the Marksman, Dribbling the Ball with the Ball, Frisbee and Caution at Every Step. The event aimed at raising awareness of and encouragement for the handicapped and their families.

10. National Orphanage Sports Meet The meet took place on November 8, 2008 at the Taipei Municipal University of Education; competition categories included Swimming, Track and Field, Table Tennis, Badminton and Basketball. Fun games consisted of talent shows, cheerleading squads, three-legged races, and t-shirt coloring. The organizers also prepared splendid activities, such as a night banquet for athletes, the night of the athletes and a free one-day tour around Taipei. 1,600 child athletes and teachers from 33 orphanages registered for the meet. 239 C h a p t e r 1 5 S o s f

11. Senior Games The“2008 Senior Games”were held on November 29, 2008 at the Taipei Municipal University of Education, targeting Taipei citizens over 60 years of age. Competition categories included Brisk Walking, Swimming, Table Tennis Double Matches, Pin-point Hoop-shooting, Group Wood Ball Matches and Group Croquet Matches. The organizers invited various sports groups to perform at the opening ceremony, and offered booths featuring leisure activities, fun games, physicals and fitness groups to spice up the games, which drew about 2,000 participants. Senior citizens were impressed with the activities, and paved the way for a favorable climate for leisure activities for all. A l 12. Assistance for the Development of the Taipei Municipal Athletics Federation To conduct sports activities for all, the Taipei City Government in 2008 assisted athletics groups in Songshan, Daan, Zhongzheng, Wanhua, Datong, Neihu, Shilin, Zhongshan, Wenshan, Nangang and Xinyi districts in organizing 130 sports tournaments; among these, sports activity promotions were most prevalent in Neihu, Shilin and Zhongshan districts. In coordination with the construction of Sports Centers, these districts provide a full array of hardware facilities to encourage greater public involvement in sports to enhance psychosomatic fitness. Old and young, men and women, everyone can enjoy an invigorated lifestyle in Taipei. Also, the city assists various individual sporting events commissions Grannies perform event gymnastics. under the Federation to line up the Youth Cup and Zhongzheng Cup, totaling 114 athletic events, including wrestling, rugby, basketball, golf, track and field, softball, football, volleyball, badminton, judo, boxing, tennis, archery, fencing, karate, skating, handball, bowling, biking, shooting, equestrianism, swimming, table tennis, softball tennis, billiards, ice hockey, tae kwon do, baseball, boating, bodybuilding, gymnastics, and martial arts. Sports for all categories feature bridge, slow softball, folk dance, kendo,

Therapeutic exercise routine demonstration at the The 2008 Neihu District Modern Folk Dance Demonstration Zhongzheng Cup. and Performance. 240 T a i p extreme sports, dodge ball, therapeutic exercises, e i

korfball, folk athletics, Iaido, Taichi, games for the Y

e handicapped, wood ball, croquet, classical Buddhist a r

b dance, aerobics, skating, flying, line dancing, aikido, o jinqi, tchoukball, Frisbee, diving, Yuanchi dance, o

k jujitsu, paintball, ground golf, Taichi stick, athletic

2

0 dancing, Tang Soo Doo, and Iaido. Also, the“Taipei 0

8 City Loves Sports Project”was organized, consisting

of eight sport categories and eighteen activities. Among these, track and field, swimming and other athletic contests are witnessing a growing number of participants, with the greatest activity scales. The 2008 Youth Cup Aikido Competition. In recent years, sports activities for all have also become all the rage, with a surging number of participants in athletic events such as jianqiu, rope skipping and diabolo, totaling about 1,200 people; the Athletic Games for the Disabled under the auspices of the Taipei Municipal Athletics Federation organized bowling championships, creating more chances for the physically challenged to meet people and increasing their chances for participation. Many Slow Softball League Matches were conducted in Taipei City and have attracted a number of skilled athletes, totaling 2,500 participants.

Part2 Hosting International Sporting Events

The Taipei City Government hosts the“International Tour de Taiwan”and the“Taipei International Expressway Marathon,”plus other international events that can promote international sports exchanges, encourage friendships among countries, improve the technical standards of sports and stoke the interest of the public as both participants and audience.

1. International Tour de Taiwan – Nangang, the Taipei Stop The“2008 International Tour de Taiwan ”was the 4th such event to be held in Taipei as a branch leg; it is organized in coordination with the“Taipei International Cycle Show” every year in March. The 2008 event was held at eight different stops; the 7th stop was conducted on March 15 on the roadways surrounding the TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall. The grand finale - the final destination - was held on the roadways surrounding the Taipei City Hall. Prior to the Taipei stop event, the Elite Athletes Procession was conducted to encourage citizen participation. Hundreds of cyclists from over twenty countries, including , , , and , partook in the tournament. Liu Yan-jie, title holder of the men's team in the Citizen Procession Contest at the Tour de Taiwan. 241 C h a p t e r 1 5 S o s f

2. The Taipei International Expressway Marathon The“Taipei International Expressway Marathon” started with a bang at 6:00am on March 23, 2008 around the Wugu and Xizhi Viaducts on National Highway Number 1. Nearly 10,000 runners enjoyed a hearty jog in the balmy weather. The tournaments on offer were full marathon and half-marathon

championships. This tournament is the only A l marathon held on a national highway. At the break of dawn, nearly 10,000 competitors thronged to the event, rendering it a grand The only expressway marathon. occasion.

3. Reinvigorating the Danshui River Events To“promote waterfront sports and leisure activities,”the Taipei City Government planned and conducted“Resurgence of the Beautiful Danshui River,”“Boating and Kayaking Activities,”“Canoeing for Citizens,”“Summer Canoeing Camp,”“the Taipei Boating Contest,”“the 2008 Waterfront Workshop,”“the 2008 Primary and Middle School Students Canoeing Camp”and“the 2008 Water Activity Seminar”from May through November. Nearly 10,000 participants joined the aforesaid events, evidencing a rising number of water sports enthusiasts, and a chance for participants to appreciate water- related activities. Through the planning of waterfront activities,“Danshui River is Reinvigorated,”in hopes of truly implementing“the Danshui River Reinvigoration Policy.”

Gales of laughter amid water sports activities. 242 T a i p

e 4. Taipei Rowing Championships i

Y The“2008 Taipei Rowing Championships”were held at e

a the Dajia Riverside Park on September 18 and 19. Teams from r b schools and organizations across Taiwan, consisting of skilled o

o western-style rowers, registered for the competition. The number k

2 of water sports activity enthusiasts has surged, making rowing 0

0 and kayaking the most unique water activities in Taipei City. 8

5. Asian Youth Girls' Volleyball Championship The“2008 Asian Youth Girls' Volleyball Championships”is the official biennial championships under the Asian Volleyball Confederation; it is known as a test event in the Asian region for the International Championships, and the first official international event for Taiwan. The top three teams can represent Asia to participate in the FIVB Federation Internationale de Volleyball Championships. It is thus highly regarded by various Asian countries. The tournament was held at the National Taiwan University Gymnasium from September 20 to 28, 2008, and was graced by 11 teams from mainland China, Japan, South , Kazakhstan and other countries. Japan won the championship, with as the runner-up, and mainland China as the Fierce competition between the R.O.C. and third-place winner. Indonesian teams.

6. 2008 OEC Taipei Ladies Open This tennis tournament was held from October 18 to 20, 2008, at the National Taiwan University Gymnasium and the Taipei Arena, featuring prominent international female tennis players. Taiwan's own tennis players took this golden opportunity to emulate and learn from these international athletes. The tournament also worked in coordination with Taipei's city marketing, and by means of sports and cultural exchanges, the Taipei City Government sought to align itself with the international community and thereby improve Taiwan's international image.

7. 2008 Asian Short-Track Speed Skating Trophy The“2008 Asian Short-Track Speed Skating Trophy”was held from November 14 to 16, 2008, at the Taipei Arena. The event was graced by outstanding skaters from Hong Kong, Japan, India, China and other Asian countries, upgrading this particular tournament to a world-class competition, and garnering much respect from the International Skating Union (ISU). Taiwan's Lin Yu-ci, 12, won a silver medal in the 1500m race in the Novice Girls category, plus a silver and a bronze in other relay matches. As athletes make the turn, their graceful movements are captured on film. 243 C h a p t e r 1 5 S o s f

8. 2008 IDSF Taipei International Open and Asian Championships The“2008 IDSF Taipei International Open and Asian Championships”was held from December 6 to 7, 2008 at the Taipei Arena, featuring 192 pairs of top dancers from 29 countries. The first prize went to Japan; the second and third prizes went to Hong Kong in the 2008 IDSF's International Grade Senior Standard category; in the International University Latin category, Chinese Taipei picked up the first and third places; second place went to .

9. ING Taipei Marathon “

With a view to aligning Taipei's marathon events with international competitions, the ING Taipei A l International Marathon”was officially rechristened the“ING Taipei Marathon”in 2008. It kicked off on December 21, 2008 at the Civic Plaza at Taipei City Hall, setting a new record of over 100,000 participants; this event is now hailed as the world's largest city marathon. In terms of community participation, it has well surpassed the world-renowned New York Marathon. The 2008 competition categories included the Full Marathon, Half- Marathon, Road Run, and Children's Fun Run. A Warm- up Game was held before the official tournament on November 8 at the Taipei Municipal Datong High School as an Interschool Primary School Relay Game. Starting in 2004, the“ING Taipei International Marathon”pioneered in using a wafer timer for timing the contestants; in 2008, the country inaugurated the“Instantaneous Score Display System”at the event to integrate tournament data with the wafer systems. In this way friends and audiences at the event or overseas could root for the athletes simultaneously by means of this new device, sharing the runners' joy at completing the race. Dancers from around the world dance and glide The service redefined the“2008 ING Taipei Marathon”as elegantly on the floor. an international gala and set a new milestone.

10. Taipei International AA Baseball Invitational Tournament The“2008 Taipei International AA Baseball Invitational Tournament”was held amid much fanfare between November 24 to 27, 2008 at the Tianmu Baseball Stadium, Xinsheng Stadium, and Shezi Island Ballpark. Five international teams, including those from Japan's Nagoya, Japan's Aichi-ken, Fukuoka-shi, South Korea's Seoul, Hong Kong, and twenty local Taiwanese teams from Taipei City, Taipei County, Keelung City, Taoyuan County, Yilan County, Taitung County and others participated in the tournament. Japan's Aichi- ken won the championship; Taipei Municipal Dali High School's junior high division came in second place; The progress of the match was fierce – never a dull Japan's Fukuoka-shi took home third place; and Taoyuan moment. Hsinming Junior High School garnered fourth place. 244 T a i p

e Part3 Athlete Training Takes Root at a Basic Level i

Y e

a Physical education is a crucial part of education. A strong body is the foundation of a healthy psyche r b

o and a key to achieving holistic education. Physical education at school helps foster the habit of regular o exercise, thereby enhancing a balanced physical and mental development that prepares individuals for k

2 any and all challenges to be met in the 21st century. Physical education is the best program and venue 0

0 for developing Sports for All, and is the foundation for developing prowess in competitive athletics. 8

The Taipei City Government spares no efforts in implementing a system for basic athletic training and developing selective sports categories so as to create a consistent training system for the city's competitive sports pyramid. In recent years county and city governments throughout Taiwan have been attaching increased emphasis on athletic training, devoting considerable funds and human resources into keeping talented students in their home counties and cities to ensure them a consistent regimen and training program. Some county and city governments even prohibit student athletes from enrolling in schools in other counties and cities. As a result, schools in Taipei City are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit student athletes from other counties and cities. Therefore, an effective integration of the student-athlete educational systems connecting Taipei City's elementary schools, middle schools and high schools has become a pressing issue. The expansion of athletic sports is conducted in a pyramidal fashion. At every stage of the pyramid, students that can no longer participate in sports are eliminated. A smooth education advancement channel has to be set up for 40% of the student athletes who are eliminated to incentivize grassroots athletes. To address the different academic levels of students in athletes classes, and ensure the academic learning interests of talented students, schools may design their own curricula to coordinate with the athletes classes, setting up an identical class schedule for one other class in the same year as that of the athletes class, so that athletes may take classes in accordance with their own academic levels. A six-year training program was inaugurated for Taipei City's high schools, providing schools with a considerable grant after approval of the program. Interested schools may propose a training regimen and deliver the proposal to the Taipei Sports Office for review. The proposal has to include the planning of qualified coaches, the engagement and absorption of athletes, schoolwork counseling and short-, mid-, and long-term goals for designated athletes. Considerable subsidies will be granted after approval of a review. Also, cash rewards will be granted if the goals in a specific proposal are The Elite Training Stage successfully met. (Key categories development) A talented-athlete training ▲ system is divided into three Athletes Nurturing Program stages: each school acts as a (Consistent Athletics Training) unit in stage one, and athletes ▲ are students in the school (such Sports Popularization (Fostering Interests in Athletics) as a basic training station); outstanding athletes from stage one will go through a screening Figure 1: Pyramidal Structure 245 C h a p t e r 1 5 S o s f process to enter stage two. The country's top coaches are to be retained for these athletes during winter and summer breaks for intense training in accordance with specific sports categories; the Taipei City Sports Training Center will be established during stage three to determine the screening criteria for an individual athlete, and to offer long-term training to athletes who meet the criteria, thereby facilitating the attainment of prize-winning goals in national sports meets.

A l

Visiting committeemen and coaches at the training station Morning exercise in the football stadium. exchanging opinions.

Table 1: Classification and Distribution of Funds for the 2008 Basic-Training Stations

Class Description Subsidy (NT Dollars)

Basic- training stations currently Class One 300,000 possessing medal-winning strengths Basic-training stations possessing future Class Two 150,000 medal-winning strengths Class One in 100,000 Primary School Class Class Two in Training stations for basic training 50,000 Three Primary School Class Three in 30,000 Primary School N/A - 10,000 246 T a i p e i

Y Part4 Constructing Sports Grounds and Facilities e a r b

o With a view to aligning Taipei City construction project developments with those in international o healthy cities, the City Government vows to fashion Taipei into a“21st Century Healthy City for k

” 2 All. Regular exercise activities are being promoted to foster a healthful habit for all citizens; various 0

0 stadiums, playgrounds and facilities are being established to meet the public's exercise needs; these are 8

the progressive objectives of the City Government. The Taipei Sports Office is currently in charge of the management of seven Sports Centers, two baseball fields, one multifunctional gymnasium, one football field, one extreme sports field, one outdoor swimming pool, one hip hop dance venue and one basketball court, located in the various administrative districts in the city. Also, the city has created eight riverside parks, and 99 sports facilities of 13 sports categories, which offer residents and Taipei City schools and sports organizations proper settings for athlete training programs, competitive sports meets, and exercise and leisure activities. In accordance with the current Taipei City Government regimen, by the time the“21st Summer Deaflympics Taipei 2009”kicks off, the construction and inauguration of the Taipei Track & Field Stadium – with a seating capacity of 20,000 – will have been completed. In addition to acting as the primary venue for the Deaflympics and increasing Taipei City's international visibility, the Taipei Track & Field Stadium will be integrated with the Songshan District Sports Center to complement the“Sports Center Project”– a program promoted by the City Government – to offer Taipei citizens robust sports venues and resources. When completed, the stadium can offer athletic facilities to a maximum of 2.59 million people annually. By 2010, twelve Sports Centers will be wholly completed in Taipei City, fulfilling the city's vision of“exercise- accessibility anywhere”and“everyone loves sports,”boosting the physical fitness and lifestyle quality of the people of Taipei, and meeting their demands for venues for various sports activities.“Increasing Public Sports Facilities”and“Upgrading Sports Facilities Effectiveness”are thus the specific municipal construction goals. The Taipei City Government is committed to encouraging a favorable sports climate for its residents, and is in charge of the management of the greatest number of sports categories and facilities at the highest construction cost, the greatest capacity, with the greatest number of users and the greatest density of sports centers in the country. The City Government's primary missions and goals are to inaugurate a sound management mechanism, fulfill its management responsibilities, maximize production effectiveness, offer the public quality sports venues, and enhance an overall favorable sports climate and high level of sportsmanship.

1. Current Status The operations of the Zhongshan, Beitou, Zhongzheng, Nangang, Wanhua, Shilin and Neihu Sports Centers are now all outsourced to private developers. The goal is to maximize effectiveness and attain policy goals by means of public/private collaboration. Five other Sports Centers and gymnasiums are currently under construction; of those, the remediation construction of the gymnasium was undertaken because the original building was in a dilapidated state, and has now been torn down in preparation for the“21st Summer Deaflympics Taipei 2009;” renovation projects on the 20,000-seat track-and-field venue, the warm-up facility, and the overall establishment are all underway.

2. Development Vista Taipei City has always valued the promotion of Sports for All, and some of the City Government's most concrete achievements include the following: the implementation of school physical education, the improvement of sports facilities, the construction of various Sports Centers, which make exercising and 247 C h a p t e r 1 5 S o s f leisure activities part of the community. The city also acts upon various public welfare policies to ensure the rights and interests of women, senior citizens, and the physically challenged in conducting health and wellbeing seminars to encourage engagement among the public in exercise activities.

3. Specific Achievements (1) Revamping public sports and leisure activity venues to improve sports facilities and service qualities. (2) Effectively increasing the activity areas of public sports facilities to upgrade the overall sports environment. (3) Additional Sports Center sites to inspire community sports participation. A l 4. Anticipated Benefits The government is duty-bound to provide quality leisure activity facilities to ensure the public's right to participate and engage in sports activities by facilitating their involvement in healthful leisure activities. Former Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou outlined a vision of“exercise anytime, anywhere for everyone”for the public. In order to execute that vision, the Taipei City Government has defined its administrative goals in terms of“adding sports parks,”“increasing public sports facilities”and“enhancing the effective use of sports facilities.”After Mayor Hau Lung-bin took office, he has spared no efforts in strengthening the promotion of this policy, and continuing with the building of new Sports Centers. Currently, sports centers that have been completed or are currently under construction are installed with administrative offices, chess classrooms, children's playrooms, swimming pools, spas, kiddy pools, pools for toddlers, steam rooms, saunas, dance classrooms, gyms, basketball courts, areas for cultural and art performances, boardrooms, exhibition halls, table tennis courts and badminton courts. Also,

Authorities from the Taipei City Hall inspect the progress of a track & field stadium under construction. 248 T a i p martial arts classrooms, rock climbing rooms, indoor driving ranges, freestyle shooting, handgun shooting e i

rooms and archery ranges are set up depending on the administrative districts and conditions. Residents Y

e are encouraged to participate in activities and take advantage of these facilities to bolster their physical a r

b and mental fitness through partaking in regular exercise. o Seven sports centers have been completed and are now open for use. The city's Zhongshan Sports o

k Center was inaugurated on March 1, 2003; Beitou Sports Center on July 5, 2004; Zhongzheng Sport

2

0 Center on October 7, 2006; Nangang Sports Center on December 1, 2006; Wanhua Sports Center on 0

8 May 26, 2007; Shilin Sports Center on February 2, 2008; and Neihu Sports Center on August 16, 2008.

In the future, as the remaining buildings are completed for the city's twelve sports centers, 100,000 users are expected to take advantage of every facility every month. Overall, Taipei City can offer sports facilities to accommodate about 1.2 million people monthly, while improving public leisure and sports facilities, creating public sports venues to meet the public's daily exercise demands, effectively increasing the number of public sports facilities, and strengthening the psychosomatic wellbeing and lifestyle quality of local residents.

Conclusion The exciting“21st Summer Deaflympics Taipei 2009”is just around the corner, and the“Deaflympics Countdown 365”and other activities continue apace, proving that the Taipei City Government is growing in its confidence in its ability to organize a successful and impressive Deaflympics. The city hopes to promote international sports exchanges, consolidate friendships with other countries, and expand Taipei City's international horizons, so that the city can be regarded as an international sports metropolis. The city is committed to its goal of strengthening Sports for All, embracing a proactive approach, visionary strategies, and pragmatic planning to execute quality sports policies in hopes of making Taipei more vivacious and dynamic, and its citizens happier, healthier, and more capable of manifesting the vigor and potential of a modernized international city!