Guo Guang Athletic Medal and Sports Science Research Award Presentation Ceremony Upholding Honor and Anticipating Remarkable Achievements at the Upcoming Olympic Games
The Sports Administration (SA) held the 2023 Guo Guang Athletic Medal and Sports Science Research Award Ceremony on December 1, attended by Premier Chen Chien-jen, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung, and SA Director-General Cheng Shih-chung. The ceremony commended athletes from 41 international sports events, including The 19th Hangzhou Asian Games and 2021 Summer Universiade, presenting 657 Guo Guang Athletic Medals and recognizing 21 outstanding sports science research projects. Notably, a total of NT$446.7 million in Guo Guang Athletic Scholarships and NT$910,000 in Sports Science Research Awards were distributed this year.
In his speech, Premier Chen said that despite the impact of the pandemic, the athletes were unafraid and, abiding by the principles of pandemic prevention, competed in various major international sports events, living up to expectations by achieving excellent results, inspiring the Taiwanese people and promoting the domestic sports atmosphere. Taiwanese roller skater, Li Meng-chu, achieved gold medal in the women's 3000m speed skating relay and the women's 1000m speed skating sprint at the Hangzhou Asian Games. At the 2022 World Speed Skating Championships, Li secured one gold medal and one silver medal in the adult women's 1000m sprint and 3000m sprint. Impressively, Li accumulated a total prize money of NT$7.5 million, the highest among individual athletes. At the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, the Taiwan delegation won 19 gold medals, 20 silver medals and 28 bronze medals, a total of 67 medals, ranking 6th among all 45 participating countries, and the athletes were awarded 264 Guo Guang Athletic Medals. At the 2021 Summer Universiade, Taiwanese delegation achieved a historic milestone, securing 10 gold medals, 17 silver medals, and 19 bronze medals – Taiwan's best overseas competition performance. A total of 87 Guo Guang Athletic Medals were awarded to the athletes. This year, a total of 63 grade two, first class, 106 grade two, second class, 109 grade two, third class, 90 grade three, first class, 128 grade three, second class, and 161 grade three, third class Guo Guang Athletic Medals have been awarded.
Minister Pan Wen-chung highlighted that, with full support from President Tsai Ing-wen, Premier Chen, and successive premiers, the sports budget has doubled annually. This substantial increase has facilitated the injection of various resources into athlete training and competitions, ensuring athletes can prepare for competitions with peace of mind. This support has led to outstanding competition results from Taiwanese athletes in recent years. Moving forward, the combined expertise of the Taiwan Institute of Sports Sciences and the National Sports Training Center will be used to fully support the training and participation of outstanding athletes to create a new future for competitive sports in Taiwan. The SA stated that in recent years, athletes have performed well in international sports events. In addition to the efforts of coaches and athletes to improve their competitive power, sports science logistics support also plays a crucial role. The research and development and application of sports science are unsung heroes behind excellent sports performance. The SA also selected research works with practical contributions and influence, awarding 21 sports scientific research work awards, including 4 high distinction works, 4 first-class works and 13 excellent works, to commend professors and teachers for their outstanding contribution.
As the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and other international sports events approach, athletes, coaches, and sports science logistics support and related administrative teams are actively preparing. The SA continues to optimize measures related to athlete selection, training, competition logistics, counseling, and awards. The goal is to propel athletes towards achieving higher performance levels, unity, and ultimately winning gold medals to bring glory for Taiwan.
