Your Majesty King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Swaziland and Your Royal Highness Inkhosikati LaMahlangu; Your Excellency Blaise Compaoré, President of Burkina Faso and Madam Compaoré; Your Excellency Fradique de Menezes, President of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe; Your Excellency Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi; Your Excellency Apisai Ielemia, Prime Minister of Tuvalu and Madam Ielemia; Your Excellency Aja Isatou Nije-Saidy, Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia; Honorable Mrs. Zoe Zelaya de Melara and Mr. Melara; President Depace of IWAS; Secretary General Strange of IWAS; President Zarin of the Asian Paralympic Committee; Premier Chang; Legislative Speaker Wang; Chairman Yang of the Sports Affairs Council; President Linda Chen of the Chinese Taipei Paralympic Committee; Distinguished Guests; Foreign Delegations; Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good evening to you all!
First of all, on behalf of the 23 million people of Taiwan, I'd like to extend to you a most hearty welcome to the 2007 IWAS World Wheelchair & Amputee Games.
Formerly two separate organizations, the Internationl Sotke Mandeville Wheelchair Sports Federation (ISMWSF) and the International Sports Organization for the Disabled (ISOD) amalgamated to create IWAS. It is the forerunner of the International Paralympic Games. It is also the world's second largest sports games for the disabled.
We have more than 900 athletes and members of national teams from 44 countries, participating in 8 games including athletics, table tennis, swimming, archery, shooting, badminton, fencing, and powerlifting. This is the biggest, and the most difficult comprehensive sports games that Taiwan has ever hosted. This represents the progress Taiwan has made in promoting sports for the disabled. Moreover, it signifies our efforts and ahievements in promoting and protecting the rights of the disabled have won recognition from the international society.
Taiwan has great confidence to be a competent host of this event, and for the many other international games that will be held here in Taiwan, including the 2009 World Games and the Deaflympics. We welcome your enthusiastic support and participation.
I would like to thank the Heads of State and the First Ladies, and the Distinguished Guests for supporting these games for the disabled. Moreover, my appreciation goes to the International Wheelchair & Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) and the Chinese Taipei Paralympic Committee (CTPC), as well as to all staff members who have devoted themselves to the preparation and organization of these games. With the assistance of the Sports Affairs Council and the Taipei City Government, I am confident that we, as the hosting country, will make our international guests feel much at home and all athletes will achieve the maximum performance and results.
In closing, I wish this sports event a great success, good health and happiness to each of you. Thank you very much.