Deaflympics to put us on world stage: Ma

“I hope that next year with the Kaohsiung City hosting the 2009 World Games in July and Taipei City hosting the Deaflympics in Taipei in September, Taiwan will once again be on the international stage and let the world know that Taiwan will never be absent from major international sporting events,” Ma said at an event to mark the beginning of the one-year countdown to the 21st Deaflympics.

The international sports event for people who are hearing impaired will be held in Taipei from Sept. 5-15, 2009.

“Through the Deaflympics, we hope everyone can get to see the modern and rich culture of Taipei City,” Ma added.

To highlight the significance of the event, the president began his speech using sign language to say “I am Ma Ying-jeou, and I’ll take part in the 2009 Taipei Deaflympis.” He received loud applause from the audience.

Named host city for the 21st Summer Deaflympics in 2003, Taipei is the first city in Asia to host the Deaflympics games, marking a historic milestone for the hosting of international sporting events in Taiwan.

Noting that the theme of Deaflympics is “Equality through sports,” Ma said athletes should have the spirit to “fight to the end and never give up” just like Taiwanese taekwondo Olympian Su Li-wen, who fought to the last minute and nearly won a bronze medal despite painful and crippling injuries.

Su, along with two Taiwanese Olympic bronze medalists Chen Wei-ling and Lu Ying chi, also attended the countdown event to call on the general public to take part in the 2009 Deaflympics.

International film stars Jackie Chan and noted actress Lin Ching-hsia were also at the activity.

Action star Chan told the audience that he has one deaf ear after falling down from a tree while shooting a movie in Yugoslavia in 1987. But he has overcome the inconvenience of losing hearing in one ear.

“Never give up and you will be the winner,” he said.

After singing the theme song of the 2009 Deaflympics “Power in Me,” Ma, Chan and other participants at the event together activated a 365-day-countdown clock and wished for a smooth and successful games.

Around 4,000 athletes from 80 countries are expected to take part in the 2009 Taipei Deaflympics. They will compete in 20 sporting categories.

The Deaflympics date back to 1924 when the first Summer Deaflympics were held in Paris, France. In 1995 the Games received official recognition by the International Olympic Committee. Today, 96 national deaf sports federations are members of the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf.

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