Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

Publication Date：09/18/2009
Source： Taiwan Today
By Jean Brisebois

As the 21st Summer Deaflympics drew to a close Sept. 15, Taiwan had plenty to celebrate with its athletes bagging 11 gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze medals for a fourth-placed finish among 98 participating countries and regions.

In terms of national sporting pride and organizational success, the games were a resounding hit. The home team turned in its best performance to date and organizers reported event attendance and visitor numbers as exceeding all expectations.

“The real ‘gold’ in staging the Deaflympics is not connected to medals or even turning a profit,” Emile Sheng, CEO of the 2009 Deaflympics Organizing Committee, said Sept. 1. “It is about helping raise Taiwan’s international profile, kick-starting a regeneration of Taipei City and showcasing the country’s leading firms and their products.”

Echoing Sheng’s sentiments, Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin told “Taiwan Today” in an exclusive interview that holding the Deaflympics goes a long way toward resolving the longstanding issue of how to increase the city and nation’s international profile and participation level.

“The event is a big step forward and is Taipei’s coming-out parade on the world stage,” Hau said. “Taiwan’s dynamic culture and unique brand of hospitality will ensure we deliver the best Deaflympics ever.”

DOC estimates put the cost of staging the best games to date at US$200 million, with the majority covered by local and central government funding. Support was received from 40 games partners, including Taiwan’s China Airlines Ltd., Formosa Plastics Group, Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd., International Business Machines Corp. and Yulon Motor Co. Ltd. The 14 main sponsors contributed a combined total of over US$4.34 million.

For organizers, the swath of positive international headlines more than justified the event’s price tag, especially given the funk hanging over Taiwan following Typhoon Morakot and managing the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic.

“In many ways, the timing of the games could not be better,” Sheng said. “The people of Taiwan need a boost after the past few weeks. The tournament is a good way to start smiling again.”

But in this day and age, miles of smiles do not come cheaply. Most countries are acutely aware that breaking even, let alone making a profit from the Deaflympics is a tall order, especially if they have to build new infrastructure such as stadiums, roads and railways.

“Fortunately, the majority of requisite infrastructure necessary to stage the Deaflympics was already in place,” said Hau, who doubles as DOC president. “Even so, we still had to be careful with our spending. This is why we focused on making games facilities more complete and upgrading them to meet international standards.”

Hau identified the biggest challenge Taipei faced in getting ready for the Deaflympics as solving its stadium dilemma. With cost and construction time ruling out a new facility, organizers elected to turn the 50-year-old Taipei City Gymnastics Stadium in Songshan District into the main venue for the international sports event.

“We spent NT$3 billion [US$91.46 million] on replacing the 7,000-seat stadium with a 20,000-seat facility that meets standards laid down by the international bodies governing athletics and football,” Hau said. “In July, the newly-opened Taipei Stadium hosted the 2009 Chinese Taipei International Athletic Meet, which went off without a hitch.”

The new facility includes a 400-meter track surrounding a football pitch, as well as a 300-meter warm up track. The stadium, along with Taipei Arena and Songshan Sports Center, makes up Taipei Athletic Garden—the largest multi-sports venue in Taiwan.

Much like Kaohsiung’s eye-catching Main Stadium, Taipei’s facility features an energy saving design that keeps a lid on costs while providing maximum comfort and viewing opportunities for spectators. This is achieved through its lithe steel structure and white membrane roofing system, which allows air to move freely through the structure and creates a feeling of lightness and vitality.

“The best part of this development is that after the event, Taipei will boast a world-class facility,” Hau said. “This helps improve the quality of life for residents and boosts real estate prices around the sports center.”

With the capital’s most pressing sporting infrastructure projects now completed, Taipei is looking to host events such as the Asian Games, East Asian Games and World University Games. “We are working on a bid for the 2017 East Asian Games,” Hau said, adding that city representatives recently visited 2009 host Hong Kong to get a better understanding of the organizational challenges associated with such an event.

Tony Phoo, an economist with Standard Chartered Bank Taiwan Ltd., said Taipei’s staging of the Deaflympics has helped round off the capital’s sporting infrastructure. “The games have put the final pieces of the infrastructure puzzle in place,” he said Aug. 21.

Although Taipei has no chance of covering its outlay from games revenues, Phoo believes the long-term benefits of the new stadium could be considerable.

“Taipei should not look at staging the Deaflympics simply for the glory of doing so,” he said. “Hosting such an event must be part of a broader regeneration program. City planners must view the Deaflympics as an integral part of regenerating large tracts of Taipei.”

But for Phoo, the biggest benefit stemming from the games is promoting the host on an international level. “Taiwan has long been seen primarily as a supplier of electronics components. This will change after the nation’s socioeconomic development is displayed for all to see.”

Raising Taiwan’s profile through mega-events such as the Deaflympics is a key component in the central government’s drive to transform the economy and promote Taiwan’s biggest brands overseas. “The Deaflympics is the perfect forum for showcasing Taiwan’s leading products,” Sheng said. “Many of our games partners have grown their involvement in the games beyond simply a financial one.”

During the 11-day event, the DOC and Bureau of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Economic Affairs worked together to showcase 21 of Taiwan’s top brands, including Aiptek, Giant, Penpower Technology, SportsArt Fitness and Transcend, at the Deaf Culture – Taiwan Excellence exhibition.

According to a bureau spokesman, all exhibitors hold the richly coveted Taiwan Excellence Award, which is presented to manufacturers of high-quality, innovative and value-added products. “These firms were chosen because their products meet the highest standards and maintain a competitive edge in the global marketplace,” he said at the exhibition’s opening ceremony Sept. 4.

Through successfully staging the Deaflympics, Taiwan has demonstrated its athletic prowess and staked a claim as an event and business capital of the world. With Taipei receiving the lion’s share of these benefits, Hau said he plans to work even harder at promoting “Asia’s most vibrant capital ” on the international stage.

“Compared to other metropolises in the region, Taipei is second to none in quality of life, public infrastructure and community spirit,” he said. “Taiwan has set a shining example for all overseas Chinese communities and its regional neighbors.”