Thanks to the Olympic gold medals won by Taiwanese athletes in Athens, the people of Taiwan can now believe that our nation is capable of winning internationally. The feeling of always ranking second is very frustrating.
After experiencing how sweet victory tastes after Taiwan's sports achievements, what will we do next? Minister of the National Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Chen Chuan-show (陳全壽) promised President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) in person that Taiwan's goal is to win seven gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Based on our big population, stable economy, broad-based education and benign climate conditions, it is without doubt that Taiwan has the ability to win at least seven gold medals. Many small and medium-sized countries around the world perform better than we do. Taiwan had performed poorly in previous Olympic Games; if we want others to respect us, we must first possess the fundamental will to win.
Earning a gold medal in the Olympics is not easy for a country. There are three principle requirements: A large number of participants, a strategic cultivation program and sufficient funds. The making of a professional athlete doesn't simply come by diligent practicing and training, but also requires athletic talent; thus, the more people participate in sports, the more likely it is that quality sports potential can be singled out.
Furthermore, participating in sports activities needs opponents as well as applause to stimulate excitement and a sense of competition. Taiwan's former education system overemphasized intellectual development. This has caused Taiwan's young generation to be weak physically. On top of this, computer technology, wealth and insufficient sports facilities combine to reduce the number of people taking part in sports.
There are two approaches to winning prizes: One is choosing the right sports categories, and the other is strategically cultivating athletes. If our ultimate goal is to win gold medals, it would be wise to select sports categories that best suit the Taiwanese physique.
Nevertheless, regarding our national situation, we should challenge others by also going for sports categories that attract a wider audience and participants. A systematic cultivation of athletes requires a graded training and competition program, which will facilitate the process of chasing medals.
The auxiliary measures such as sports nutrition, coaches and training facilities all cost money; therefore, they should be integrated with sports funds to give athletes a friendly training environment. Nevertheless, it is not ideal to use money as an incentive for athletic excellence.
Though it may seem cost effective to give out rewards of only some NT$100 million to medal winners and have our national flag hoisted in the international sports arena, it in fact degrades the essence of sports by making it a marketable commodity rather than an activity for developing the body.
Today, Taiwan's situation in the international society is charged with danger. We cannot display our national flag and sing our national anthem. Therefore, apart from taekwondo, archery and baseball, we must find some other sports categories that can better summon group cooperation, give a boost to the morale, touch the public's hearts and stir up national dialogues. I think soccer would be a good choice since it is a sport that invigorates people's passion and strengthens national identity.
I dream of one day, maybe after 12 years, we will be able to enter the top 32 in international soccer. By that time, the international support we receive will definitely outweigh competition through military armaments.
Lin Wan-yi is a professor of the department of social work at National Taiwan University.
TRANSLATED BY LIN YA-TI
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of