The National Sports Training Center held a media day July 20 in the southern city of Kaohsiung to spotlight preparation by members of Team Taiwan who are set to compete in the Paralympic Games kicking off Aug. 28 in Paris.
 
During the event, Deputy Minister of Education Chang Liao Wan-chien expressed his support and gratitude to the athletes on behalf of the government. Their hard work and sacrifices made to represent Taiwan in the biggest sporting event of its kind are sincerely appreciated, he added.
 
According to Chang Liao, to show the government’s full support for the athletes, a budget of NT$160 million (US$4.89 million) has been allocated for their training at the NSTC and participation in more than 40 qualifying competitions.
 
No effort is being spared to prepare the athletes for the upcoming games, Chang Liao said. All aspects of their daily lives and professional training are being handled by expert support staff, including accommodation, education, entertainment and transportation arrangements; meal preparation tailored to each athlete’s medical and physical condition; and sports shoes that cater to the special needs of athletes with smaller body builds, he added.
 
According to the MOE, 13 local athletes have qualified for seven sports in the Paralympics, including badminton, powerlifting, taekwondo and table tennis. In the previous edition of the quadrennial games, Tien Shiau-wei won a bronze medal in the women’s individual class 10 table tennis competition.


Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)