2009 Summer Deaflympics
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Summer Deaflympics, officially known as the 21st Summer Deaflympics, is an international multi-sport event
that was celebrated from September 5 to September 15, 2009 in Taipei
, Republic of China
(Taiwan
). It is the third Summer Deaflympics
to be held in Asia
/Pacific region. Judo
, Karate
, and Taekwondo
have been recognized as new summer disciplines in the Deaflympics sports competition program.
Sport Association for the Deaf expressed its intention to bid for the 2009 Summer Deaflympics following its participation at the 2001 Summer Deaflympics
in Rome
. Athens
, Greece
, the host city of the 2004 Summer Olympics
and the 2004 Summer Paralympics
, was also bidding for the hosting right.
On November 24, 2002, ICSD President John Lovett arrived in Taipei, and visited all recommended venues and facilities during the one week stay. The Chinese Taipei Sport Association for the Deaf gave Mr. Lovett multimedia presentations and made arrangements for him to meet with President Chen Shui-bian
, Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee
Chairman Huang Ta-chou
, and other officials.
Taipei was chosen to host the 21st Summer Deaflympics in a vote held at the 38th ICSD session, finishing ahead of Athens, Greece. Below was the vote count that occurred on February 28, 2003 in Sundsvall
, Sweden
:
for the required infrastructure. The construction of the Taipei Stadium alone costs around NT$ 3 billion. The funding is provided by the Taipei City Government
and the Sports Affairs Council
. The main stadium Taipei Stadium was completed on June 15, 2009, and was certified as a Class 1 Athletics Facility by the IAAF. Besides opening/closing ceremonies and athletics, the football finals were also held at the Taipei Stadium.
. The volunteers were grouped into 3 categories: regular, foreign language and sign language volunteers, all must accept 120 hours training, including basic, work-specific and sign language
trainings. The Taipei Deaflympics have received over 8,000 volunteer applications.
, such as A-mei
, Blue Man Group
, Dynamic Yunnan
, and Minghuayuan. The "Taipei International Deaf Culture Fair" was also held, with a series of exhibitions and activities that promoted understanding of the Deaf culture
.
and simple, flowing calligraphic
lines, evoking the "image of running man". It symbolizes the courageous spirits of the athletes as they excel and meet the challenges as well as the vitality of Taiwan.
. The mascots have their arms wide open, in a welcoming pose that looks like the Chinese character "北", which represents the host city Taipei.
A mascot naming contest was held by the Organising Committee. The names chosen are "Peace" for the male frog mascot and "Love" for the female frog mascot.
. Some events will be held in Taoyuan County and Hsinchu County
, namely swimming
and water polo
in Hsinchu County Swimming Plaza, shooting
in Taoyuan County Gongxi Shooting Range, and tennis
(backup venue for rain) in National Taiwan Sport University Taoyuan campus.
have registered with ICSD:
and theatre director Dr. Stan Lai as the Games' Art Director, and to orchestrate the opening and closing ceremonies.
According to Stan Lai, ceremony general director, the opening of the Deaflympics will be a "memorable event that will call forth the beauty of the human heart and reach out to the deaf community." It will be divided into 12 acts, including a performance titled "Impossible Dream" by renowned Taiwanese model Patina Lin. Completely covered in body paint, Lin will float across a 50-meter projection screen to create the illusion of a goddess walking through air and water. She will also perform along with children from schools for the hearing-impaired, using sign language to express the message of "Power in Me," Lai said.
World-renowned deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie has been invited to perform at the opening ceremony, as well as the local drumming group U-Theatre, and more than 80 children from schools for the hearing-impaired in Taipei and Taichung cities, according to Lai.
The team from the People's Republic of China
did not attend the opening ceremony. Neither side has officially give then reason, although most news sites are attributing it to the Dalai Lama's recent trip to Taiwan. The People's Republic of China
had previously not attended the opening of the World Games
which was held in Kaohsiung
earlier in the year. Nonetheless, China has sent 63 hearing impaired dancers from the Mainland China to perform the "1,000 hand Bodhisattva
" at the ceremony.
dishes were served at 350 tables dominated the closing ceremony for the 11-day event in Taipei
. The parades, fireworks and arts performances usually seen at such events were also present, but played a secondary role. The menu for the banquet included peanuts from Yunlin County, beef noodles, pineapple cakes, highland tea, and mango shaved ice, accompanied by pearl milk tea and vinegar-based fruit drinks. Some of the foods had been seen at the September 5th opening in a plastic and cloth version during a show representing the best of Taiwanese cuisine
and culture. While the athletes tucked into the local delicacies, the 14,000 members of the public were able to exchange their tickets for food valued at NT$200 per person.
Performances including Taiwanese opera from the famous Ming Hwa Yuan troupe, lion dances, drums, and three songs, including the closing theme song of the 2009 Deaflympics, from Aaron Kwok
, a pop star from Hong Kong
. He said with passion, "I witnessed a successful closing ceremony tonight. Just like I've said during the performance, the Deaflympics touches our heart and Taipei
has touched the world." A movie was also presented depicting the athletic highlights of the 2009 Summer Deaflympics.
At the end, the flag was passed on to the Greek capital of Athens, the host of the 22nd Summer Deaflympics scheduled for 2013. The fourth Deaflympics
in the Asia-Pacific region will also be preserved in history as the best ever for host Taiwan, which won 11 gold medals, 11 silvers and 11 bronzes. The country placed fifth for the number of medals won, with Russia
coming first after collecting 29 golds, 40 silvers and 28 bronzes. Ukraine
came second, South Korea
third, and the People's Republic of China
fourth.
Taiwan's strongest performances were on show in bowling
, table tennis
, and taekwondo
, the Korean martial art that has also brought success to Taiwanese athletes at Olympic Games. One Taiwanese athlete alone, Chang Yao-chien, collected four golds in women's bowling. Nevertheless, the country still fell narrowly short of its self-set goal of 12 gold medals, which officials blamed on the limited source of talent available.
On the political side of the sporting event, the People's Republic of China
announced earlier it would be present for the closing ceremony, after having missed the opening, widely thought to have been planned that way to avoid the presence of President Ma Ying-jeou. The team's deputy leader, Zhao Sujing, told reporters yesterday that the 78 Chinese participants had to come together in Beijing from all parts of China first, and that problems with airline ticketing had caused them to miss earlier flights to Taipei
. However, more than ten athletes were to be present in Taiwan to participate in the closing ceremony. The People's Republic of China
won 12 golds, nine silver and 17 bronze medals, or double its amount at the Melbourne Deaflympics four years ago. Praising the organization, International Committee of Sports for the Deaf President Donalda Ammons used sign language to say "the Taipei Deaflympics were the best ever."
She received the keys to Taipei and the honorary citizenship of the city from the hands of Mayor of Taipei
Hau Lung-pin yesterday. He bestowed similar honors on other ICSD officials, including executive member and China team leader Yang Yang, the first-ever Chinese citizen to receive honorary citizenship in Taipei.
Overall, most regarded the ceremony as a success. The only "unwelcome intrusion to an otherwise perfect ending was the deportation of a Spanish athlete for alleged sexual harassment of a volunteer."
Multi-sport event
A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports between organized teams of athletes from nation-states. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the modern Olympic Games.Many...
that was celebrated from September 5 to September 15, 2009 in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
). It is the third Summer Deaflympics
Deaflympics
The Deaflympics are an International Olympic Committee -sanctioned event at which deaf athletes compete at an elite level...
to be held in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
/Pacific region. Judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, and Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
have been recognized as new summer disciplines in the Deaflympics sports competition program.
Bidding process
The Chinese TaipeiChinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games...
Sport Association for the Deaf expressed its intention to bid for the 2009 Summer Deaflympics following its participation at the 2001 Summer Deaflympics
Deaflympics
The Deaflympics are an International Olympic Committee -sanctioned event at which deaf athletes compete at an elite level...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, the host city of the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and the 2004 Summer Paralympics
2004 Summer Paralympics
The 2004 Summer Paralympics were held in Athens, Greece, from September 17 to September 28. The twelfth Paralympic Games, an estimated 4,000 athletes took part in the Athens programme, with ages ranging from 11 to 66. Paralympic events had already taken place during the 2004 Summer Olympics as...
, was also bidding for the hosting right.
On November 24, 2002, ICSD President John Lovett arrived in Taipei, and visited all recommended venues and facilities during the one week stay. The Chinese Taipei Sport Association for the Deaf gave Mr. Lovett multimedia presentations and made arrangements for him to meet with President Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
, Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee
Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee
Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing the Republic of China...
Chairman Huang Ta-chou
Huang Ta-chou
Huang Ta-chou was a Taiwan politician. He was the former mayor of Taipei and the chairman of the Chinese Taipei Olympic committee.-Early life:...
, and other officials.
Taipei was chosen to host the 21st Summer Deaflympics in a vote held at the 38th ICSD session, finishing ahead of Athens, Greece. Below was the vote count that occurred on February 28, 2003 in Sundsvall
Sundsvall
-External links:* - Official site from Nordisk Familjebok - Sundsvalls tourist information bureau. - The alternative guide to Sundsvall. - Blog with photos from Sundsvall....
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
:
| 2009 Summer Deaflympics Bidding Results | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | National Olympic Committee | Round 1 | |||
| Taipei Taipei Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean... , Republic of China Republic of China The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor... (Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following... ) |
Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing the Republic of China... |
52 | |||
| Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Hellenic Olympic Committee Hellenic Olympic Committee Hellenic Olympic Committee also known as Comité Olympique Hellénique is the governing Olympic body of Greece. It is one of the oldest National Olympic Committees in the world, being founded in 1894 and recognised in 1895.... |
32 | |||
Preparation
Preparation for the Games started in 2005, with an estimated total budget of NT$ 4.6 billion1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
for the required infrastructure. The construction of the Taipei Stadium alone costs around NT$ 3 billion. The funding is provided by the Taipei City Government
Taipei City Government
Taipei City Government governs the city of Taipei, Republic of China.- Administration :The head is the mayor of Taipei and the vice mayor...
and the Sports Affairs Council
Sports Affairs Council
Sports Affairs Council is a council under the Executive Yuan, the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China . It was established in mainland China and relocated to Taiwan after the defeat of Kuomintang in the Chinese Civil War....
. The main stadium Taipei Stadium was completed on June 15, 2009, and was certified as a Class 1 Athletics Facility by the IAAF. Besides opening/closing ceremonies and athletics, the football finals were also held at the Taipei Stadium.
Volunteers
According to the Organising Committee's estimates, based on a 2:1 ratio of athletes to volunteers, the Games required approximately 3,000 volunteersVolunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
. The volunteers were grouped into 3 categories: regular, foreign language and sign language volunteers, all must accept 120 hours training, including basic, work-specific and sign language
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
trainings. The Taipei Deaflympics have received over 8,000 volunteer applications.
Deaflympics Arts Month
The Organising Committee has designated August 2009 as the "Taipei Deaflympics Arts Month", during which famous artists and art groups are invited to perform at the Taipei ArenaTaipei Arena
Taipei Arena is an indoor sporting arena located in Taipei, Taiwan. Built in 2005, the large multi-purpose stadium can accommodate major international sport events such as ice skating, ice hockey, gymnastics, handball, basketball, tennis, badminton, table tennis, indoor soccer, boxing, judo,...
, such as A-mei
A-Mei
A-Mei , also known by her birth name Chang Hui-mei , is an aboriginal Taiwanese pop singer and occasional songwriter. She is also known by her aboriginal name Gulilai Amit . She was born in the rugged mountains of eastern Taiwan and is the third youngest of nine siblings. A-mei made her debut in...
, Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group
Blue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
, Dynamic Yunnan
Yang Liping
Yang Liping is the director, choreographer and star of a performance art show called "Dynamic Yunnan" that has drawn sellout crowds all over China. She toured Europe and the United States in 2005. Between 2004 and 2008, Yang Liping directed and choreographed a trilogy: "Dynamic Yunnan", "Echoes...
, and Minghuayuan. The "Taipei International Deaf Culture Fair" was also held, with a series of exhibitions and activities that promoted understanding of the Deaf culture
Deaf culture
Deaf culture describes the social beliefs, behaviors, art, literary traditions, history, values and shared institutions of communities that are affected by deafness and which use sign languages as the main means of communication. When used as a cultural label, the word deaf is often written with a...
.
Symbols
Emblem
The emblem comes from the shape of the Chinese character for north , representing the host city Taipei , with an ear representing the Deaflympics, and a figure as the main body representing the athletes. The design uses the blue, white and red color scheme of the national flagFlag of the Republic of China
The Flag of the Republic of China is red with a navy blue canton bearing a white sun with 12 triangular rays. In Chinese, the flag is commonly described as Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth to reflect its attributes....
and simple, flowing calligraphic
East Asian calligraphy
East Asian calligraphy is a form of calligraphy widely practised and revered in the Sinosphere. This most often includes China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The East Asian calligraphic tradition originated and developed from China. There is a general standardization of the various styles of...
lines, evoking the "image of running man". It symbolizes the courageous spirits of the athletes as they excel and meet the challenges as well as the vitality of Taiwan.
Motto
The 2009 Summer Deaflympics motto is "Power in me!". The Chinese version is "無聲的力量" (literally, "The Power of Silence").Mascots
The Games' mascots are one male and one female Taipei green treefrogsRhacophorus taipeianus
Rhacophorus taipeianus is a species of frog in the Rhacophoridae family.It is endemic to Taiwan.Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montanes, swamps, intermittent freshwater marshes, arable land, plantations , ponds, and irrigated...
. The mascots have their arms wide open, in a welcoming pose that looks like the Chinese character "北", which represents the host city Taipei.
A mascot naming contest was held by the Organising Committee. The names chosen are "Peace" for the male frog mascot and "Love" for the female frog mascot.
Sports
The sports offered at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics were held in 20 disciplines, including 15 individual sports and 5 team sports:Individual sports
|
Judo is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an... Karate is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,... Orienteering Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they... Shooting Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman... Swimming (sport) Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native... |
Table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net... Taekwondo Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"... Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... Freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history... Greco-Roman wrestling Greco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can... |
Team sports
Venues
The Games were held in 22 venues, most of which located in Taipei City and Taipei CountyTaipei County
New Taipei City is the most populous city of Taiwan. The area includes a substantial stretch of Taiwan's northern coastline and surrounds the Taipei Basin...
. Some events will be held in Taoyuan County and Hsinchu County
Hsinchu County
Hsinchu County is a county in north-western Taiwan. The population of the county is mainly Hakka; there is a Taiwanese aboriginal minority in the southeastern part of the county. Zhubei is the capital of Hsinchu, where the government office and county office is located...
, namely swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
in Hsinchu County Swimming Plaza, shooting
Shooting
Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
in Taoyuan County Gongxi Shooting Range, and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
(backup venue for rain) in National Taiwan Sport University Taoyuan campus.
- Opening/Closing Ceremonies: Taipei Stadium
- Athletics: Taipei Stadium, Zhongzheng Senior High School (Backup Venue), Yangming Senior High School (Backup Venue)
- MarathonMarathonThe marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
: Northern Coast Highway - BadmintonBadmintonBadminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
: Taipei Gymnasium - BasketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
: Taipei Gymnasium - Beach VolleyballBeach volleyballBeach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
: Pacific Green Bay - BowlingBowlingBowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
: Xinqiaofu Bowling Center - Cycling RoadCyclingCycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
: Northern Coast Highway (Road Race), Taipei City Hall Plaza (Points Race, Time Trial) - Football: Taipei Stadium (Final), Yingfeng Riverside Sport Park (Preliminary)
- HandballTeam handballHandball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
: Chenggong Senior High School - JudoJudois a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
: Taiwan Police College - KarateKarateis a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
: Nangang Sports Center - OrienteeringOrienteeringOrienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
: Yangmingshan National Park - ShootingShootingShooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
: Gongxi Shooting Range - SwimmingSwimming (sport)Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
: Hsinchu County Swimming Plaza - Table TennisTable tennisTable tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
: Taipei ArenaTaipei ArenaTaipei Arena is an indoor sporting arena located in Taipei, Taiwan. Built in 2005, the large multi-purpose stadium can accommodate major international sport events such as ice skating, ice hockey, gymnastics, handball, basketball, tennis, badminton, table tennis, indoor soccer, boxing, judo,... - TaekwondoTaekwondoTaekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
: National Taipei University of EducationNational Taipei University of EducationNational Taipei University of Education is a university located in Taipei, Taiwan that predominantly focuses on teacher training... - TennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
: Rainbow Riverside Sport Park, National Taiwan Sport University (Backup Venue for Rain) - VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
: National Taiwan UniversityNational Taiwan UniversityNational Taiwan University is a national co-educational university located in Taipei, Republic of China . In Taiwan, it is colloquially known as "Táidà" . Its main campus is set upon 1,086,167 square meters in Taipei's Da'an District. In addition, the university has 6 other campuses in Taiwan,...
, Xinzhuang Stadium - Water PoloWater poloWater polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
: Hsinchu County Swimming Plaza - Wrestling FreestyleFreestyle wrestlingFreestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...
: Chinese Culture UniversityChinese Culture UniversityChinese Culture University is a private, Taiwanese university located on Yang Ming Mountain in the Shilin District of Taipei, Taiwan. CCU was established in 1962 and is one of the largest universities in Taiwan with an enrollment of about 32,000 students... - Wrestling Greco-RomanGreco-Roman wrestlingGreco-Roman wrestling is a style of wrestling that is practised worldwide. It was contested at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and has been included in every edition of the summer Olympics held since 1908. Two wrestlers are scored for their performance in three two-minute periods, which can...
: Chinese Culture UniversityChinese Culture UniversityChinese Culture University is a private, Taiwanese university located on Yang Ming Mountain in the Shilin District of Taipei, Taiwan. CCU was established in 1962 and is one of the largest universities in Taiwan with an enrollment of about 32,000 students...
Participating NOCs
80 NOCsNational Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...
have registered with ICSD:
| (57) (5) (34) (25) (4) (46) (11) (5) (2) (17) (23) (25) (2) (100) (21) (36) (3) (8) (19) (61) | (25) (18) (23) (64) (184) (48) (70) (47) (26) (29) (17) (68) (47) (23) (85) (226) (63) (35) (86) (15) | (5) (54) (3) (6) (7) (3) (5) (2) (19) (19) (8) (51) (9) (13) (2) (7) (50) (22) (3) (284) | (13) (15) (3) (10) (10) (19) (41) (47) (43) (20)
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Opening ceremonies
The Organising Committee of the 21st Summer Deaflympics recruited acclaimed Taiwanese playwrightPlaywright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
and theatre director Dr. Stan Lai as the Games' Art Director, and to orchestrate the opening and closing ceremonies.
According to Stan Lai, ceremony general director, the opening of the Deaflympics will be a "memorable event that will call forth the beauty of the human heart and reach out to the deaf community." It will be divided into 12 acts, including a performance titled "Impossible Dream" by renowned Taiwanese model Patina Lin. Completely covered in body paint, Lin will float across a 50-meter projection screen to create the illusion of a goddess walking through air and water. She will also perform along with children from schools for the hearing-impaired, using sign language to express the message of "Power in Me," Lai said.
World-renowned deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie has been invited to perform at the opening ceremony, as well as the local drumming group U-Theatre, and more than 80 children from schools for the hearing-impaired in Taipei and Taichung cities, according to Lai.
The team from the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
did not attend the opening ceremony. Neither side has officially give then reason, although most news sites are attributing it to the Dalai Lama's recent trip to Taiwan. The People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
had previously not attended the opening of the World Games
World Games 2009
The World Games of 2009 took place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, from July 16, 2009 to July 26, 2009. The games featured sports that are not contested in the Olympic Games....
which was held in Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
earlier in the year. Nonetheless, China has sent 63 hearing impaired dancers from the Mainland China to perform the "1,000 hand Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
" at the ceremony.
Closing Ceremonies
In a creative move, a banquet where 12 typical TaiwaneseCulture of Taiwan
The culture of Taiwan is a blend of Confucianist Han Chinese, Japanese, European, American, global, local, and Taiwanese aborigines cultures, which are often perceived in both traditional and modern understandings...
dishes were served at 350 tables dominated the closing ceremony for the 11-day event in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. The parades, fireworks and arts performances usually seen at such events were also present, but played a secondary role. The menu for the banquet included peanuts from Yunlin County, beef noodles, pineapple cakes, highland tea, and mango shaved ice, accompanied by pearl milk tea and vinegar-based fruit drinks. Some of the foods had been seen at the September 5th opening in a plastic and cloth version during a show representing the best of Taiwanese cuisine
Taiwanese cuisine
Taiwanese cuisine has several variations. In addition to the following representative dishes from the people of Hoklo ethnicity , there are also Aboriginal, Hakka, and local derivatives of Chinese cuisines .Taiwanese cuisine itself is often associated with influences from mid to southern...
and culture. While the athletes tucked into the local delicacies, the 14,000 members of the public were able to exchange their tickets for food valued at NT$200 per person.
Performances including Taiwanese opera from the famous Ming Hwa Yuan troupe, lion dances, drums, and three songs, including the closing theme song of the 2009 Deaflympics, from Aaron Kwok
Aaron Kwok
Aaron Kwok Fu-shing is a Hong Kong singer, dancer and actor. He has been active since the 1980s to the present. The media refer to him, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Leon Lai as the Cantopop Four Heavenly Kings . Kwok's onstage dancing and displays is influenced by Michael Jackson...
, a pop star from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. He said with passion, "I witnessed a successful closing ceremony tonight. Just like I've said during the performance, the Deaflympics touches our heart and Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
has touched the world." A movie was also presented depicting the athletic highlights of the 2009 Summer Deaflympics.
At the end, the flag was passed on to the Greek capital of Athens, the host of the 22nd Summer Deaflympics scheduled for 2013. The fourth Deaflympics
Deaflympics
The Deaflympics are an International Olympic Committee -sanctioned event at which deaf athletes compete at an elite level...
in the Asia-Pacific region will also be preserved in history as the best ever for host Taiwan, which won 11 gold medals, 11 silvers and 11 bronzes. The country placed fifth for the number of medals won, with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
coming first after collecting 29 golds, 40 silvers and 28 bronzes. Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
came second, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
third, and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
fourth.
Taiwan's strongest performances were on show in bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
, and taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
, the Korean martial art that has also brought success to Taiwanese athletes at Olympic Games. One Taiwanese athlete alone, Chang Yao-chien, collected four golds in women's bowling. Nevertheless, the country still fell narrowly short of its self-set goal of 12 gold medals, which officials blamed on the limited source of talent available.
On the political side of the sporting event, the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
announced earlier it would be present for the closing ceremony, after having missed the opening, widely thought to have been planned that way to avoid the presence of President Ma Ying-jeou. The team's deputy leader, Zhao Sujing, told reporters yesterday that the 78 Chinese participants had to come together in Beijing from all parts of China first, and that problems with airline ticketing had caused them to miss earlier flights to Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. However, more than ten athletes were to be present in Taiwan to participate in the closing ceremony. The People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
won 12 golds, nine silver and 17 bronze medals, or double its amount at the Melbourne Deaflympics four years ago. Praising the organization, International Committee of Sports for the Deaf President Donalda Ammons used sign language to say "the Taipei Deaflympics were the best ever."
She received the keys to Taipei and the honorary citizenship of the city from the hands of Mayor of Taipei
Mayor of Taipei
The Mayor of Taipei is elected to a four-year term. Former Presidents Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian have all held this position prior to being elected President.It was an appointed position from 1967 to 1994...
Hau Lung-pin yesterday. He bestowed similar honors on other ICSD officials, including executive member and China team leader Yang Yang, the first-ever Chinese citizen to receive honorary citizenship in Taipei.
Overall, most regarded the ceremony as a success. The only "unwelcome intrusion to an otherwise perfect ending was the deportation of a Spanish athlete for alleged sexual harassment of a volunteer."
Medal Tally
| 1 | （RUS） | 29 | 41 | 28 | 98 |
| 2 | （UKR） | 20 | 22 | 25 | 67 |
| 3 | （KOR） | 14 | 13 | 7 | 34 |
| 4 | （CHN） | 12 | 9 | 17 | 38 |
| 5 | Chinese Taipei Chinese Taipei Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games... （TPE） |
11 | 11 | 11 | 33 |
| 6 | （BLR） | 10 | 6 | 7 | 23 |
| 7 | （USA） | 10 | 5 | 7 | 22 |
| 8 | （RSA） | 8 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 9 | （JPN） | 5 | 6 | 9 | 20 |
| 10 | （SWE） | 5 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 11 | （TUR） | 4 | 6 | 7 | 17 |
| 12 | （ITA） | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 |
| 13 | （FRA） | 4 | 2 | 6 | 12 |
| 14 | （EST） | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| 15 | （KEN） | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 16 | （GER） | 3 | 8 | 12 | 23 |
| 17 | （IRI） | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 |
| 18 | （AUS） | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 19 | （VEN） | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 20 | （LTU） | 2 | 4 | 7 | 13 |
| 21 | （LAT） | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 22 | （HUN） | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 23 | （CUB） | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 23 | （POR） | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 25 | （NOR） | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 26 | （GBR） | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 27 | （POL） | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 28 | （BUL） | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 29 | （MGL） | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 29 | （SUI） | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 31 | （NZL） | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 31 | （PUR） | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 33 | （CRO） | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 33 | （FIN） | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 33 | （NED） | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 36 | （GRE） | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 37 | （CAN） | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 37 | （NGR） | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 39 | （IRL） | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 39 | （MAS） | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 39 | （SRB） | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 42 | （CZE） | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 42 | （SVK） | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 42 | （ESP） | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 45 | （ARG） | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 45 | （AUT） | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 47 | （BRA） | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 47 | （DEN） | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 47 |  Hong Kong（HKG） |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 47 | （IND） | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 47 | （KAZ） | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 47 | （KGZ） | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 47 | （MEX） | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 47 | （KSA） | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 47 | （UZB） | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total： | 178 | 176 | 205 | 559 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|