Taipei City Government

The “Taiwan’s Heroes’ Parade” – spotlighting 2017 Summer Universiade medalists from the island – took place in the afternoon of August 31. Upon their arrival at Civic Plaza in front of City Hall at 5:30 PM, the athletes received a warm welcome by Mayor Ko Wen-je amidst rapturous applause from the audience.
During his address, Ko lauded the Taiwanese athletes for their outstanding performances during the international sports event. He didn’t forget to express his gratitude to those who had gone all out to compete for the honor of Taiwan despite defeat, noting that their fighting spirit was as admirable as honorable.
Despite the low level of public interest in the Universiade before its opening, the event turned out to be a miraculous success and set numerous records in the history of Taiwan. He expressed his gratitude to the staff members from the departments of police, fire, and environmental protection, as well as volunteers from across the social spectrum.
Gold medalists Chen Chao-tsun and Kuo Hsing-chun, who competed in men’s javelin and women’s weightlifting respectively, delivered a speech on behalf of the athletes. Both shared their excitement to have been able to set new records on the soil of their homeland. They also called for continued public support for Taiwan’s athletes in future sports competitions.
Ko attributed the success of the Universiade to everyone, who made efforts to let the world see the best of Taiwan. However, he stressed that the conclusion of the Universiade marks the start of re-examining of operations throughout the event. He believes there is room for improvement and the experience will serve as a valuable source of reference for sports events to come.