First Major Sports Event After the Earthquake — International Children's Games to Be Held in Hualien Next Year with 2,000 Participants
Date: May 16, 2025
Source: United Daily News
Reporter: Wang Yen-hua, Hualien (Immediate Report)
The International Children's Games (ICG) will be hosted in Hualien next year, marking Taiwan's third time securing the hosting rights after Taipei (2002) and New Taipei City (2016). Nearly 2,000 participants from around 30 international cities are expected to take part. Today, Hualien County Mayor Hsu Chen-Wei signed the Host City Agreement with ICG President Igor Topole, officially confirming Hualien as the host city for the 2026 edition. The signing ceremony was held alongside the inauguration of the Organizing Committee. Mayor Hsu pledged to spare no effort in organizing the event, ensuring that the world will see both Hualien and Taiwan.
The ICG is an international youth sports event recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Following Taipei (2002) and New Taipei City (2016), this will be the first large-scale international sports event in Hualien since the April 3, 2024 earthquake.
The signing and inauguration ceremony took place at the Hualien County Leisure Sports Park, witnessed by Hsu Hsiu-Ling, Head of the International and Cross-Strait Sports Division, Sports Administration, Ministry of Education. Mayor Hsu and President Topole signed the Host City Agreement, and Hsu also presented appointment certificates to members of the Executive Committee, symbolizing the official launch of the organizing committee.
Director of the Hualien County Education Department, Weng Shu-Min, stated that the 2026 ICG will be held in August next year, with around 30 cities and 2,000 participants expected. Competitions will be held in eight sports: athletics, swimming, tennis, 3x3 basketball, taekwondo, football, table tennis, and archery. Venues will include the Hualien County Stadium, Guo-Feng Junior High School, Mei-Lun Junior High School, Yi-Chang Junior High School, Hualien County Swimming Pool, and Chung-Cheng Gymnasium.
Weng added that in recent years, Hualien has actively bid for and hosted various major events, such as the National Games, while also upgrading sports venues. Despite last year’s earthquake, all competition venues have been inspected and confirmed safe by the Executive Committee, with only minor repair and maintenance work remaining.
Mayor Hsu expressed her honor in bringing the ICG to Hualien, emphasizing the integration of central, local, and private sector resources to ensure the Games’ smooth delivery. She hopes to make Hualien a key international stage for youth sports exchange.
ICG President Topole noted that although Hualien was struck by the April 3 earthquake during the bidding process, the city demonstrated remarkable resilience in its recovery. This resilience convinced the ICG to award the hosting rights to Hualien. He expressed confidence that Hualien’s rich natural landscapes and cultural heritage will ensure a successful Games.
