VP Chen vows successful 2017 Taipei Universiade

2016/10/24

Vice President Chen Chien-jen received a delegation comprising the president of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and members of the body’s Executive Committee Oct. 19, expressing gratitude for the organization’s support and pledging a successful 2017 Summer Universiade.

While addressing the delegation led by FISU President Oleg Maty at the Office of the President, Chen said the central government is assisting Taipei City in its preparations for the international sporting event. The Executive Yuan, for example, has already established a coordinating committee to facilitate communication between local governments.

The Summer Universiade, slated to take place Aug. 19-30, 2017, will be hosted by Taipei, but events are also scheduled to be held in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu, New Taipei and Taoyuan cities.

Taiwan places great emphasis on sports education, Chen said, and international events such as the Universiade afford the country the opportunity to show the world its vitality and willingness to contribute to global society.

“Sports and sportsmanship are key pillars in our education policy,” the vice president said. “By hosting the games, we aim to further inspire the Taiwanese passion for sports.”

The games are also expected to act as a platform for cultural exchanges, building bridges between young athletes from Taiwan and around the world, Chen concluded.

Founded in 1949, FUSI is responsible for supervising the Summer and Winter Universiades as well as the World University Championships. The Switzerland-based international federation is composed of 170 associations, including the Chinese Taipei University Sports Federation, across five continents.

The Summer Universiade is hosted by a different city every two years. The 29th edition of the games is estimated to involve more than 7,700 athletes from around 150 countries.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=248837&ctNode=2194&mp=9)