President Tsai Ing-wen honored Taiwan’s Tokyo Paralympics delegation during a special ceremony celebrating the achievements and excellence of the country’s heroes at the Presidential Office Sept. 29 in Taipei City.
Team Taiwan recorded impressive results at the recently concluded Summer Paralympics, Tsai said. This can be attributed to the selfless sacrifice of the athletes, family members, coaches and support staff, as well as years of hard work behind the scenes to raise the country’s parasports profile on the global stage, she added.
According to Tsai, the government intends to maintain this momentum by supporting competitors and sports for the physically and mentally challenged. The efforts of the Ministry of Education in providing personal training and establishing barrier-free sports facilities will continue to play a key role in this regard, she said.
Echoing Tsai’s remarks, Vice President Lai Ching-te said the performances of Taiwan’s Paralympic heroes have inspired people from all walks of life around the country to strive for greatness. It is expected Team Taiwan will go on to have even more success in the future, he added.
According to the Sports Administration under the MOE, 10 Taiwan athletes contested the Aug. 24 to Sept. 5 games in badminton, judo, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis and track and field.
Top performers include Tien Shiau-wen, who won bronze in the women’s singles TT10 table tennis; Yang Chuan-hui, who finished just outside the medals with fourth in the men’s T11 long jump; and Fang Jen-yu, who bravely battled to fourth in the men’s SU5 badminton. (YCH-E)
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