The Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) announced that personnel representing Taiwan will be in attendance at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Games. The announcement reverses a decision made by the Taiwanese Sports Administration last week stating the island’s Olympic delegation would skip both ceremonies.
The Taiwanese Sports Administration based its original decision on flight delays, pandemic prevention measures, and athlete protection. However, the decision came during a period of soured relations between the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan.
According to Nikkei Asia, a dispute over Taiwan’s name had broken out between the two sides in the weeks leading up to the opening ceremony.
An official from China’s Taiwan Affairs Office had referred to Taiwan as “Taipei, China.” This represented a break from the previously agreed upon name, “Chinese Taipei,” which was used when Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics.
However, intervention from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) seems to have guaranteed Taiwanese representation at both ceremonies for the time being.
The CTOC “received contact from the IOC to explain the meaning of the Olympic Charter in detail,” according to a translated statement posted on the organization’s website.
The statement continued, “all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are required to fulfill their responsibilities related to participation in the Olympic Games, including participation in relevant ceremonies, in accordance with the Olympic Charter.”
It was also stated the IOC understood the concerns expressed by the Taiwanese delegation, offering to provide full assistance on the issues cited under the original decision.
The statement concluded, “we tried our best to overcome flight difficulties, and under the principle of maximizing epidemic prevention and team members’ health, we dispatched personnel to participate in the opening and closing ceremonies according to the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee.”
The IOC has still yet to publicly comment on the matter.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
