Traditional Chinese martial arts should be added to the list of events at the 2017 Universiade, set to be held in Taipei, Democratic Progressive Party Taipei City Councilor Ho Chih-wei (何志偉) said yesterday.
The 12-day international sporting competition for college students is second in size only to the Olympic Games, according to the International University Sports Federation, the event’s organizer.
“The Universiade’s host country can choose demonstration sports to include in the event,” Ho said, adding that the number of sports that Taipei is set to host is expected to be the lowest in the event’s history.
Photo: CNA
“Because Taiwan has preserved traditional Chinese martial arts better than any other place in the world, even if an additional sport cannot be added, a platform should still be provided for their display,” he said.
Including traditional martial arts within the event’s program would help to promote them domestically, Taiwan’s Chinese Martial Arts Federation president Huang Kun-chung (黃鯤忠) said.
“Taipei used to be a world center for traditional martial arts, but the sport has been declining over the past 20 years due to lack of domestic interest,” he said, adding that government backing was important to ensure parents supported their children studying traditional martial arts.
Taiwan provides just NT$3 million (US$98,500) annually toward traditional martial arts, compared with an estimated NT$42.5 billion Universiade budget, Ho said.
Taipei Department of Sports Deputy Commissioner Fang Chen-kun (房振昆) said that while the department can provide additional funds to sports federations to stage competitions, it had not received any proposals from martial arts associations last year.
He said that while the department would apply for traditional Chinese martial arts to be designated as a demonstration sport at the Universiade, the final decision rests in the hands of the International University Sports Federation.
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