Taiwan appeals as China pressure sees axing of 2019 East Asian Youth Games

TAIPEI - Chia-Lung Lin, Mayor of Taichung City, which was to host the 1st East Asian Youth Games (EAYG) in 2019, says the City Government and the Taichung 2019 EAYG Organising Committee have formally lodged a complaint with the East Asian Olympic Committee (EAOC), requesting that Taichung continue to host the Games.

The complaint letter was also delivered to the other eight EAOC member National Olympic Committees - in Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, Guam and China.

“I urge our friends in the international community to jointly speak on behalf of the athletes from all participating countries and regions including Taiwan, and to protest against this unfair and illegal resolution,” Lin said. “I urge the international community to be aware of the severe pressure and suppression we have been subjected to.”

Following pressure from China, the EAOC held an Extraordinary Council meeting on July 24 to cancel the 2019 Games, which were slated to be held in Taichung.

Lin said that, soon after the EAOC decision, the Taiwan Affairs Office of China’s State Council released an official statement claiming that cancellation of the 2019 Games was due to a “name-change” referendum campaign initiated by some Taiwan citizens for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

China was, said Lin, “publicly and formally acknowledging that the Games were cancelled due to political factors”.

“China’s unilateral claim that cancellation of the Games is due to a referendum incidentally organised by Taiwan citizens, and not yet formally put for voting, precisely demonstrates China’s lack of understanding of, as well as its fear and zealous defensiveness towards, Taiwan’s democracy.”

 Taichung City was chosen in October 2014 to host the 2019 Games. It would have been the first time that a sports event under the Olympic Committee System had been hosted in Taiwan.

The Games were scheduled to be held from August 24-31, 2019, with close to 2,300 athletes and delegation members from nine countries and regions expected to participate.

 Lin said some NT$672 million (US$21.87 million) had already been invested in building sports arenas and organising the Games.

  “I would like to urge the international community to join us in following this matter as it develops,” he said.

“It is a disgraceful chapter in the history of international sports to allow political forces to interrupt a sporting event.

“I trust that this is not a situation that the international community is willing to witness. I sincerely urge our friends in the international community to speak on our behalf and to join us in fighting for the universal values of sportsmanship.” (ATI).