About 3,000 people participated in a 4km road run yesterday — dubbed “Power in Me” — that was designed to promote the upcoming Taipei Deaflympics.
The run began at the Presidential Office plaza and wound its way through the streets of Taipei.
The participants, which included more than 20 people with hearing disabilities and 10 visually impaired runners, vied for medals in two divisions — the 4km road run and an 8km race.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), Cabinet officials in charge of sports affairs and officials from the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee also took part in yesterday’s promotional event.
In a conversation with Chen Lan-feng (陳蘭鳳), one of the hearing-impaired runners who will represent Taiwan in the 2009 Deaflympics in Taipei City, Ma encouraged her to train well so that she could give an outstanding performance in the games, which will be held from Sept. 5 to Sept. 15.
Chen is known as “the deer woman” in local athletics circles because of her swift, silent movements.
Many other promotional activities will be staged in the run up to the games, including a grand opening of the Deaflympics main stadium on July 23 and an invitational track and field meet from July 24 to July 25, the sponsors said.
There will also be a series of large-scale performances to promote the 21st Summer Deaflympics Taipei 2009, which is expected to draw more than 10,000 people from 85 countries.
The performances will include Taiwanese operas as well as shows staged by the world-famous Blue Man Group, a folk music and dance troupe from China’s Yunnan Province and Aboriginal singers, said Emile Sheng (盛治仁), CEO of the Taipei Deaflympics Organizing Committee
Detailed information can be accessed via the Deaflympics’ official Web site at www.2009deaflympics.org.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS