President Ma Ying-jeou met on the morning of April 3 at the Presidential Office with an evaluation commission from the International University Sports Federation (FISU) that is presently on a visit to Taiwan. The president expressed Taiwan's hopes that it will be awarded the right to hold the 2015 World University Games.
The president commented that the World University Games, sponsored by the FISU, are a sporting event on a scale second only to that of the Olympic Games. He noted that leading competitors from throughout the world take part in the games. The president said that Taipei, Edmonton, Canada, and Gwangju, South Korea are vying for the right to hold the 2015 games. He expressed his hopes that the evaluation commission will better understand what Taipei has to offer on its visit here.
President Ma said that the ROC (Taiwan) is a nation that places enormous emphasis on athletics. He said that he and Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin are sports enthusiasts, and that the two hope nations from throughout the world will come to understand the importance that people place on athletics here as well as the love they have for sports. The president told the guests that Taipei this year will stage the Deaflympics. In addition, the city in the past has held other international athletics activities, including the Baseball World Cup twice and the Asian Football Cup. Taipei has a wealth of experience in holding these types of events, he said. Should Taipei be awarded the right to hold the 2015 World University Games, the president said he is confident that the event will be prepared and run seamlessly, as Taipei has no lack of sporting venues, referees, and other highly qualified personnel.
The president told the guests that he had served as Taipei Mayor for eight years prior to becoming President and that he understands the importance of athletics. The president noted that while he was mayor the largest portion of Taipei City's budget went toward expansion of the city' mass rapid transit system, followed by education. Of the budget for education, a significant amount was devoted to the construction of athletics facilities. For instance, 80 swimming pools were built or renovated in Taipei. This made it possible for 85% of the city's school children to pass swimming exams. In addition, the city built six athletic centers during his tenure as mayor and another six are being built now under Mayor Hau's administration. This will mean that each of Taipei's 12 administrative districts will have a five-star athletic center. The facilities can accommodate between 2,000 and 7,000 people, and they provide venues for the residents of the city to engage in regular exercise. This is crucial to achieving the important objective of making Taipei a health-oriented city. Lastly, the president said that besides further understanding Taipei's ability to hold an international competition, he hopes that the delegation will take time out to get to know the people and culture here.