Awardees Honored at the 2024 Guo Guang Athletic Medal and Sports Science Research Award Presentation Ceremony Premier Cho Jung-tai Attends and Commends Taiwan's Pride in Winning Athletes
The 2024 Guo Guang Athletic Medal and Sports Science Research Award Presentation Ceremony was held on December 6, honoring athletes and sports science researchers for their outstanding achievements in 50 international multi-sport and single-sport events, including the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games and the WBSC Premier 12. The ceremony was attended by Premier Cho Jung-tai, Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao, Deputy Minister of Education Chang Liao Wan-Chien, Director-General of the Sports Administration (SA) Cheng Shih-chung, President of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee Lin Hong-dow, and President of the Republic of China Sports Federation Yeh Chen-yen. Together, they presented the Guo Guang Athletic Medal to coaches and athletes who excelled in the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, WBSC Premier 12, and other events, as well as awards for sports science research. This year's awards recognized the exceptional achievements of athletes, coaches, and researchers. The total amount of Guo Guang Athletic Scholarships issued this year reached NT$464.7 million, while NT$990,000 was awarded for sports science research.
In his speech, Premier Cho especially thanked Taiwan’s athletes for their excellent performances in international competitions this year and praised the award-winning athletes as the pride of Taiwan. He expressed joy and pride in their achievements, noting that whether as part of the Chinese Taipei team or the Taiwan team, they are all world champion teams. In order to drive sports development, the government, with full support from the Legislative Yuan, will soon establish a new "Ministry of Sports" to continue promoting and advancing national sports, competitive sports, international affairs, and the sports industry. Premier Cho mentioned that upcoming events include the 2025 Universiade, the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Games. He expressed hope that all athletes will deliver their “A game” and that the award-winning athletes will bring their medals back to Taiwan to share with the people.
Among the awardees were gold medalists from the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, including Wang Chi-lin and Lee Yang in badminton men's doubles, boxing champion Lin Yu-ting, and members of the WBSC Premier 12 winning team: Chang Yi, Li Kai-wei, Chen Kuan-yu, Pan Chieh-kai, Wang Chih-hsuan, Chuang Hsin-yen, and Chen Po-ching. Other honored athletes included shooters Lin Yi-jun and Wu Chia-ying, powerlifter Tian Chi-sen, Taiwanese martial arts athlete Sun Chia-hung, and speed skater Huang Chien-hua, all of whom attended the ceremony to personally receive their awards. In addition, 23 research works with significant practical contributions and impact, selected by the SA under the "Guidelines for Sports Science Research and Talent Development Reward," were also recognized during the event.
The SA announced that during this year’s WBSC World Premier 12, Taiwan’s baseball team achieved its first-ever championship in a top-level international baseball competition, bringing immense pride to the nation. To recognize the efforts of the coaching staff, including Tseng Hao-chu, the Ministry of Education passed a resolution on December 4 to amend the "Guidelines for Sports Development Fund Cultivation of Outstanding or Potential Athletes." The reward for the coaching team was increased from NT$2 million to NT$6 million, aligning with first- and second-level reward criteria for team sports coaches, in acknowledgment of their contributions. Through the Guo Guang Athletic Medal and Scholarships, Taiwan continues to honor athletes for their achievements in international competitions. Efforts are ongoing to enhance athlete selection, training, competition, support, and rewards, ensuring they reach their full potential and bring further glory for Taiwan. The Sports Science Research Award encourages integrating sports science into training, helping athletes improve and pursue Olympic goals of being faster, higher, stronger, and more united.
