The members of Taiwanese community in Lagos have celebrated the performance of the country’s team at the Paris Olympics.
They noted that the country’s team took home two gold and five bronze medals, ranking 35th out of the 206 participating nations.
The team performance, they said, showed the resilience of the Taiwanese spirit.
Speaking on behalf of the community, Representative and Chief of Taiwan Mission in Nigeria, Mr. Andy Yih-Ping Liu, said the Taiwanese in Nigeria were happy that Boxer Lin Yu-ting and “Taiwan’s Fastest Man” Yang Chun-han were the flag bearers at Sunday’s closing ceremonies for the Paris Olympics, which saw Taiwan winning seven medals.
According to Liu, the members of the team, through their performance, showed the time-tested Taiwanese spirit.
“We are very happy here with their performance and we hope our team to the next Los Angeles Olympic will also make our country and the people proud,” the envoy said.
The two gold medals tied Taiwan’s record for the most gold medals, while the total medal haul was Team Taiwan’s second-most. The nation won 12 medals in Tokyo.
The gold medals were won by the men’s badminton duo of Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin and Lin in the women’s boxing 57kg weight class. Kuo Hsing-chun could not repeat her gold medal performance from Tokyo due to injuries and settled for the bronze in the women’s 59kg weightlifting competition, but was the first Taiwanese to medal in three straight Olympics.
Boxer Chen Nien-chin also competing in her third Olympics, took bronze in the women’s 66kg class. Gymnast Tang Chia-hung captured the bronze in the men’s horizontal bar.
Wu Shih-yi boxed her way to bronze in the women’s 60kg weight class. Sharpshooter Lee Meng-yuan bagged Taiwan’s first medal, a bronze, in the men’s skeet event.
Speaking further, Liu said team’s performance emphasized the background of Taiwan’s development into modern and well-balanced society.
The envoy said: “Taiwan, a small island with population of 24 million people and lack of any natural resources, has demonstrated its resilience and development through multi-facet endeavours in education, innovation, research and science-based technology developing, trading and industrial production.
“Taiwan nowadays has reached the high standard of nation-building with the one of the top democratic countries, less than 2% of illiteracy, the most advanced economy of semiconductor industry and IT technology, one of the best orchids and single-malt whisky production countries, and yet the same time one of the finest performing members of Olympic Games of athletics in decades.
“Without generations after generations of devoted Taiwanese people and governing leaders pouring their wisdom and strength, it would not be possible for Taiwan to go this far. Not to mention that there’s always a ‘Big Brother’ bullying and threatening to ‘liberate’ Taiwan while the big Goliath has trapped himself in tyranny and disrespect for basic human rights.
“Taiwan’s new generation of fine athletes showcase there’s always young people in Taiwan making their choices, with their own free will, of devoting into fine sportsmanship. And their fine examples will continuously encourage more and more young people putting energy and enthusiasm in developing their own sport skills, while the whole Taiwan society appreciates their efforts and supports them wholeheartedly.
“This is what Taiwan, a democratic and free country, would do for its citizens.”