TAIPEI—The Philippines was formally recognized by the Taipei Universiade Organizing Committee here Thursday, two days before the formal opening ceremony of the 29th Summer Universiade.
The Filipinos, who will compete in the Universiade for the fourth straight time since 2011 in Shenzhen, China, checked in at the Athletes’ Village to join close to 10,000 participants in this biennial competition billed as the ‘Olympics’ of university athletes.
Among the early birds in the 160-strong Filipino delegation supported by the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines and sponsored by San Miguel Corp., Bestank and Garfield Sportswear are athletes from archery, badminton, judo, tennis and wushu.
Leading the Filipino delegation are FESSAP chairman and delegation head Alvin Tai Lian, FESSAP president David Ong and Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industries honorary president and Philippine flag-bearer Angel Ngu.
Also with the group are FESSAP deputy secretary-general and SMC representative Col. Ariel Querubin, FESSAPvice chairman Danilo Madlansacay, FESSAP treasurer Jean Monteverde and FESSAP preparation and monitiring chair Robert Milton Calo.
“You are already winners by having this opportunity to represent the country. Do your best and be good ambassadors of Philippine sports, “ said Ong during the recent sendoff held at the National Press Club in Intramuros
The colorful parade of nations and welcome speeches by no less than Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and other top officials are scheduled on Saturday, Aug. 19.
A day after the opening ceremony, the Filipinos will plunge into action in five sports—archery, diving, judo, swimming and taekwondo—on a long and busy Sunday around the city’s various playing venues.
Athletics, the centerpiece event of the competition, will kick off on Aug. 23.
The other sports where the Filipinos are entered are athletics, badminton, golf, table tennis, lawn tennis, weightlifting. wushu and the demonstration sport of billiards.
Two years ago, South Korea emerged as the overall champion with 47 golds, 32 silvers and 29 bronzes during the 28th Summer Un8versiade in Gwangju, South Korea.
Russia finiahed second with 34 golds, 39 silvers and 49 bronzes, while China wound up third with 34 golds, 21 silvers and 16 bronzes.
Japan was fourth place with 25-25-35 gold-silver-bronze, followed by the United States in fifth with 20-15-19, France in sixth with 13-9-8, Italy in seventh woth 11-15-17, Ukraine in eighth with 8-17-6, Iran in ninth with 7-2-6 and 2017 ost Taipei in 10th place with 6-12-19.
Unlike in 2011 Shenzhen where Far Eastern University star Samuel Thomas Morrison captured a silver medal in taekwondo and 2013 Kazan Universiade where GM Wesley So bagged a historic gold medal in chess, the Phlippines failed to win a medal in 2015 Gwangju.
United-States based Lloyd Jefferson of Seton Hall University was the best Filipino performer in Gwangju after a remarkable seventh-place finish in golf.
The privately-funded FESSAP is the sole university sports federation in the Philippines that is recognized by the International University Sports Federation.
FISU, the international governing body for university sports, also organizes the Winter Universiade and World University Championships in various sports.