China wants to take part in Summer Unversiade

REBEL FLAGS: The nation’s athletes must compete under an approved flag, but fans can still wave Taiwan’s national flag at the games, an official said

By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter





China on Saturday submitted its letter of intent to participate in next year’s Summer Universiade in Taipei, the games’ organizing committee said yesterday.

Nations who want to participate in the games were asked to submit a letter of intent between Aug. 19 and Saturday, Taipei Universiade Organizing Committee spokesman Yang Ching-tang (楊景棠) said.

The committee has received responses from 105 nations, including the US, Japan, South Korea, China and France, he said, adding that China, Singapore and Uzbekistan submitted their letters on the last day of the deadline.

Cheerleaders, including a person dressed as Taipei Universiade bear mascot Bravo, perform acrobatics outside Taipei City Hall on Aug. 20 to mark the start of the 365 day countdown to next year’s Summer Universiade. Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times

Based on past universiades, the committee estimates that the number of participating nations by the number of letters of intent it receives, Yang said.

However, there have been instances of nations not submitting a letter of intent, but ultimately attending the games.

In the 2013 Kazan Universiade, in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, the organizing committee received only 77 letters of intent, but more than 140 nations competed in the games, Yang said.

However, nations that have submitted the letters of intent are very likely to attend, he said.

The registration period for the Summer Universiade runs from Oct. 19 through Jan. 19, Yang said, adding that 45 nations have begun the registration process.

Taiwanese athletes are to compete in the Universiade under the name “Chinese Taipei,” Yang said, as they do in the Olympic Games.

Athletes must compete under the flag approved by the International Olympic Committee, but audiences at the games can still wave Taiwan’s national flag, he said.

The Taipei City Government said that it has invited China to attend the Universiade on several occasions.

Taipei Universiade Organizing Committee executive director Su Li-chiong (蘇麗瓊) extended an invitation when she met with Chinese representative Sha Hai-lin (沙海林) at the Taipei-Shanghai Forum in August this year.

She also made the same offer when she visited the Asian Beach Games in Da Nang, Vietnam, in September.

In addition to the efforts of local governments, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Hung Shiu-chu (洪秀柱) also encouraged Beijing to allow Chinese athletes to participate in the Summer Universiade during her meeting with Chinese President Xi Jingping (習近平) in Beijing earlier this month.

In related news, the International Weightlifting Federation yesterday confirmed that Taiwanese weightlifter Hsu Shu-ching (許淑淨) is to become the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in the women’s 53kg category after the titleholder, Kazakh weightlifter Zulfiya Chinshanlo, failed a drug test.

Hsu also won the gold in the same category at the Rio Olympics this year, meaning she is now the nation’s first weightlifter to have won two Olympic golds, the Sports Administration said.

The administration also said that the National Honor Prize program rewards Olympic gold medalists with a NT$12 million (US$374,883) prize, adding that silver medalists are rewarded with NT$7 million.

Hsu is to receive an additional NT$5 million after the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee receives final confirmation from the International Olympic Committee, the administration said.