Mr. Liang-hui Chen Current position • Chief Secretary of Department of Sports, Taipei City Government

2) Department of Sports of Taipei City Government

Q1： Are there sports facilities for the mentally and physically disabled in the sports centers of Taipei?
A1： By far, the sports centers in all the districts are equipped with facilities for the mentally and physically disabled like chairlifts for the disabled in the swimming pools and fitness equipment for the disabled in the gyms.

Q2： As indicated by the questionnaires we distributed during the 2015 World Deaf Basketball Championships in Taoyuan, the respondents generally thought that Taiwan government had not provided sufficient resources for deaf sports. Will Taipei government consider provide additional funding?
A2： Taipei City Government has always spared no efforts to promote the sports for the mentally and physically disabled; in particular the prize award for the elite athletes is usually the highest in Taiwan. The prize money for the National Disabled Games, for example, is as high as nearly TWD 100 million.

Q3： Since the deaf athletes do not have many opportunities to compete, could the Department of Sports support them in other ways?
A3： It is only natural that there would not be many opportunities to organize and participate in competitions in an underprivileged environment. We therefore welcome deaf athletes to participate in related competitions organized by us. We also try our best to invite non-disabled athletes to play with them, thus helping both parties to improve their skills.

Q4： How does the Department of Sports combine the power of private sectors to promote deaf sports?
A4： We cooperate with hearing aid manufacturers or manufacturers of relevant devices and discuss how the devices and equipment could be improved in relations to exercises for the hearing-impaired persons.

Q5： Do you have plans to register Taipei Deaf Women’s Basketball Team in the National Disabled Games?
A5： Yes. Taipei City will not be absent from the National Disabled Games. It will try its best to register teams in all sports categories so that physically and mentally disabled citizens who are talented will be able to participate in this event.

Q6： Does the Department of Sports have plans to cultivate students receiving special education to participate in various sports competitions?
A6： Instead of preparing them for sports competitions, we promote sports in general so that students could be physically fit. Sporting events, in this case, are only a stimulus for their participation. That is why we also hold sports competitions in schools for special education under the support of the school boards.

Q7： Taipei City was the host of the 2009 Deaflympics. Will it attempt to host more international sports events in the future?
A7： Deaflympics belongs to the family of Olympic Games and is the sporting event of the highest level for the deaf. If opportunity allows, Taipei City will evaluate to bid to host other sporting events as well.