On the night of July 16th, the opening ceremony of the eighth World Games was held in Kaohsiung. Over 4000 athletes from 105 countries were in attendance at the ceremony, held in Kaohsiung's Main Stadium, designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito. The ceremony was divided into three sections-"Beautiful Island," "Prayer of the People," and "Dynamic Kaohsiung"-and President Ma Ying-jeou also participated, officially declaring the 11-day games open.
Kaohsiung's games have set precedents on many different fronts, with this year's event hosting the most countries and competitors, as well as being the World Games with the highest level of investment yet. In another break with the past, Kaohsiung is the first host city to build a brand new stadium specifically for the games, and President Ma is the first head of state to officially open the games.
This is also the first time the World Games-first held in Santa Clara, California in 1981-have been held outside of the US, Europe, or Japan. Kaohsiung's bid for the games was accepted in June 2004, and in the five years since much work has gone into revitalizing the cultural and scenic aspects of the city, ultimately enabling this sunny, vibrant coastal city to present its best face to the world.
Affiliated with the Olympic Games, the World Games are held every four years, one year after each Summer Olympics. This year's games are host to a total of 33 official events- including five "performance" events like gymnastics and trampoline-and six invitational events.
Unlike the intense nature of the Olympics, the events of the World Games-which are generally not part of the Olympic Games-are sports which are much more "everyday" and can be enjoyed by a broader range of ages. They emphasize variety, recreation, and team spirit, and encourage us to experience the enjoyment of sport. Good examples of this attitude include billiards, bowling, and karate, all of which are particular strengths for Taiwan; as well as sports particularly enjoyed by younger people, such as climbing, surfing, and parachuting, and others more the preserve of older people, such as ballroom dancing. There are even a few that many will remember from childhood, like tug-of-war and Frisbee.
The World Games also place a strong emphasis on sport as a way to make friends, encouraging and fostering international brotherhood and a spirit of fairness. A wonderful example of this was seen on the third day of competition, when the Swiss and German teams were competing for the gold medal for tug-of-war; a member of the German team was injured and they had no way of bringing in a substitute, so the Swiss team voluntarily cut one man from their team "in the interests of fairness." In the end, not only did the Swiss take the medal, they also earned rousing applause for their conduct from both the crowd and their opponents.
In line with the amiable nature of the games, host cities are not expected to build new facilities, instead making use of those they already have and simply not hosting events they have no facilities for. This means host cities don't need to shell out for new buildings, but when Kaohsiung became host, the city nonetheless decided to make an all-out effort to provide excellent facilities. The construction work done for the games, and particularly the Toyo Ito-designed Main Stadium (known as "The Flying Dragon"), certainly gave the Beijing Olympics and their "Bird's Nest" a run for its money.
The Flying Dragon is so called for its shape, which resembles a Chinese dragon weaving through the air. It has a bold and welcoming open-fronted design with a "tail" that trails off to one side of the entrance rather than connecting back to the "mouth" of the dragon, breaking away from the traditional oval or circular stadiums of past World Games.
Occupying over 19 hectares and capable of seating over 40,000, the Main Stadium is also currently the only "green" stadium in the world-the "scales" of the Flying Dragon are in fact 8,844 solar panels, glittering together with the navy blue running tracks, representing the shimmering blue ocean beside Kaohsiung. Either side of the stadium is lined with lush young trees, which will one day grow to be a forest surrounding the stadium, a beautiful sight that is much anticipated.
In the words of Chen Chu, mayor of Kaohsiung, "Taiwan is a nation in the midst of a tough battle," and Kaohsiung has certainly fired a significant volley in this fight by securing such a major international event, with Taipei set to follow its lead in September this year when it hosts the Deaflympics. Taiwan's vigor and vibrancy are on the rise again for all the world to see!
(facing page, top) Neighboring the Main Stadium are several large sculptures, including (left to right) Israeli-French artist Yaacov Agam's "Message of Peace" (photo courtesy of the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung Organizing Committee [KOC]); Taiwanese artist Fan Jiang Daoming's "Barefoot" (photo by Chuang Kung-ju); German artist group Inges Idee's "Let's Go" (photo courtesy of the KOC); and (facing page, bottom left) Toyo Ito's piece, done in the style of the stadium itself, "Flame" (courtesy of the KOC).
(facing page, top) Neighboring the Main Stadium are several large sculptures, including (left to right) Israeli-French artist Yaacov Agam's "Message of Peace" (photo courtesy of the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung Organizing Committee [KOC]); Taiwanese artist Fan Jiang Daoming's "Barefoot" (photo by Chuang Kung-ju); German artist group Inges Idee's "Let's Go" (photo courtesy of the KOC); and (facing page, bottom left) Toyo Ito's piece, done in the style of the stadium itself, "Flame" (courtesy of the KOC).
The sports of the World Games are many and varied, as are the athletes themselves, who range from star athletes who participated in last year's Beijing Olypmics to senior competitors in it for the challenge. All of them strive for victory, but they also place great emphasis on fairness, friendship, and fun.
The sports of the World Games are many and varied, as are the athletes themselves, who range from star athletes who participated in last year's Beijing Olypmics to senior competitors in it for the challenge. All of them strive for victory, but they also place great emphasis on fairness, friendship, and fun.
The sports of the World Games are many and varied, as are the athletes themselves, who range from star athletes who participated in last year's Beijing Olypmics to senior competitors in it for the challenge. All of them strive for victory, but they also place great emphasis on fairness, friendship, and fun.
The sports of the World Games are many and varied, as are the athletes themselves, who range from star athletes who participated in last year's Beijing Olypmics to senior competitors in it for the challenge. All of them strive for victory, but they also place great emphasis on fairness, friendship, and fun.
Design by renowned Japanese architect Toyo Ito, Kaohsiung's Main Stadium has become a focal point for many during these games.
(facing page, top) Neighboring the Main Stadium are several large sculptures, including (left to right) Israeli-French artist Yaacov Agam's "Message of Peace" (photo courtesy of the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung Organizing Committee [KOC]); Taiwanese artist Fan Jiang Daoming's "Barefoot" (photo by Chuang Kung-ju); German artist group Inges Idee's "Let's Go" (photo courtesy of the KOC); and (facing page, bottom left) Toyo Ito's piece, done in the style of the stadium itself, "Flame" (courtesy of the KOC).
Design by renowned Japanese architect Toyo Ito, Kaohsiung's Main Stadium has become a focal point for many during these games.
The sports of the World Games are many and varied, as are the athletes themselves, who range from star athletes who participated in last year's Beijing Olypmics to senior competitors in it for the challenge. All of them strive for victory, but they also place great emphasis on fairness, friendship, and fun.
(facing page, top) Neighboring the Main Stadium are several large sculptures, including (left to right) Israeli-French artist Yaacov Agam's "Message of Peace" (photo courtesy of the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung Organizing Committee [KOC]); Taiwanese artist Fan Jiang Daoming's "Barefoot" (photo by Chuang Kung-ju); German artist group Inges Idee's "Let's Go" (photo courtesy of the KOC); and (facing page, bottom left) Toyo Ito's piece, done in the style of the stadium itself, "Flame" (courtesy of the KOC).
The sports of the World Games are many and varied, as are the athletes themselves, who range from star athletes who participated in last year's Beijing Olypmics to senior competitors in it for the challenge. All of them strive for victory, but they also place great emphasis on fairness, friendship, and fun.
The sports of the World Games are many and varied, as are the athletes themselves, who range from star athletes who participated in last year's Beijing Olypmics to senior competitors in it for the challenge. All of them strive for victory, but they also place great emphasis on fairness, friendship, and fun.
The sports of the World Games are many and varied, as are the athletes themselves, who range from star athletes who participated in last year's Beijing Olypmics to senior competitors in it for the challenge. All of them strive for victory, but they also place great emphasis on fairness, friendship, and fun.
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)
