The 2017 Summer Universiade concluded Aug. 30 at Taipei Stadium with a ceremony featuring a wide array of dance and music performances.
More than 12,000 people attended the closing ceremony of the 29th Summer Universiade—the largest sporting event ever staged in Taiwan—which comprised four sections: “Indie Formosa,” “Taipei Loves You,” “Homage to Naples” and “Brand New Start.” The event concluded with a colorful light show and fireworks display.
Speaking during the ceremony, Vice President Chen Chien-jen thanked the International University Sports Federation for its support over the past six years and attributing the success of the event to the joint efforts of FISU and the Taipei Universiade Organizing Committee. “We have shown the international community that cities in Taiwan have the capacity to organize world-class sporting events,” he said.
Echoing Chen’s remarks, Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je conveyed his gratitude to the event’s unsung heroes such as police and medical staff as well as the more than 18,000 volunteers. He also sent his best wishes to the Italian city of Naples, which will host the event in 2019.
Praising the success of this year’s event, FISU President Oleg Matytsin said Taipei has given many young athletes memories that will last a lifetime. He noted the enthusiasm and generosity of the Taiwan people, and said this year’s Universiade demonstrated the values of sportsmanship as well as friendship and unity.
The first section of the show, “Indie Formosa,” featured folk music and cultural elements of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, while “Taipei Loves You” utilized rock and pop music to convey the city’s enthusiasm and support for the athletes, according to organizers. “Homage to Naples” comprised opera and ballet performances by Italy’s San Carlo Theatre and was followed by “Brand New Start,” which focused on themes such as the future and the digital era.
At the end of the ceremony was the extinguishing of the Universiade flame. Drawing on the Taoist ceremony of “sending off the deities,” a parade of adults and children dressed as gods marched across the stadium field before coming to a stop as the flame was put out.
This year, Taiwan ranked third in the final Universiade medal count with a national record-breaking 26 golds, 34 silvers and 30 bronzes. In addition, an impressive 720,000 tickets, or 87 percent of the total, were sold, according to the organizing committee. (Taiwan Today)
