Q：When will the Taipei Deaflympics be held？
A：The Games will be held from September 5 to September 15, 2009.
Q：When and where was the first Deaflympics held？
A： The first Deaflympics, originally known as World Games for the Deaf, was held in 1924 in Paris. 28 years after the first Olympic Games in 1896, the first Deaflympics was also the first Games ever on earth for athletes with disability.
Q：What is the difference between the Deaflympics and the Paralympics？
A：The major difference lies in the participating athletes. While the Paralympics is mainly for those handicapped in their limbs or trunks, the Deaflympics requires its participating athletes to have a hearing loss in their better ear of more than 55 decibels.
Q：What is the relationship between International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) and International
Olympic Committee (IOC)？
A：The Olympic Games, Deaflympics, Paralympics, Special Olympics, and Youth Olympic Games are all international events recognized by IOC. The term Deaflympics is authorized by IOC.
Q：Which session is the 2009 Deaflympics？Where will it be held？
A： The 2009 Deaflympics is the 21st one, and Chinese Taipei was elected the host city of the 21st Summer Deaflympics which will be held in Taipei City in 2009.
Q：How many countries and athletes will come to Taiwan for the Taipei Deaflympics？
A： To date, 3959 athletes (5501 if all other staff are included) from 81 countries have registered with ICSD.
Q：Which countries will be participating at the Taipei Deaflympics？
A：To date, 81 countries have finished their preliminary registration with ICSD; they are as follows (in English alphabetical order): Argentina (ARG), Armenia (ARM), Australia (AUS), Austria (AUT), Belarus (BLR), Belgium (BEL), Bolivia (BOL), Brazil (BRA), Bulgaria (BUL), Canada (CAN), Chile (CHI), China (CHN), Colombia (COL), Croatia (CRO), Cuba (CUB), Cyprus (CYP), Czech Republic (CZE), Denmark (DEN), Estonia (EST), Fiji (FIJ), Finland (FIN), France (FRA), Germany (GER), Ghana (GHA), Great Britain (GBR), Greece (GRE), Guinea (GUI), Hong Kong (HKG), Hungary (HUN), Iceland (ISL), India (IND), Indonesia (INA), Iran (IRI), Ireland (IRL), Israel (ISR), Italy (ITA), Ivory Coast (CIV), Japan (JPN), Kazakhstan (KAZ), Kenya (KEN), Korea (KOR), Kuwait (KUW), Kyrgyzstan(KGZ), Latvia (LAT), Lithuania (LTU), Macau (MAC), Macedonia (MKD), Malaysia (MAS), Malta (MLT), Mexico (MEX), Mongolia (MGL), Netherlands (NED), New Zealand (NZL), Nigeria (NGR), Norway (NOR), Pakistan (PAK), Philippines (PHI), Poland (POL), Portugal (POR), Russia (RUS), Saudi Arabia (KSA), Serbia (SRB), Singapore (SIN), Slovakia (SVK), Slovenia (SLO), South Africa (RSA), Spain (ESP), Swaziland (SWZ), Sweden (SWE), Switzerland (SUI), Thailand (THA), Turkey (TUR), Turkmenistan (TKM), Ukraine (UKR), United Arab Emirates (UAE), United States (USA), Uzbekistan (UZB), Venezuela (VEN), Zambia (ZAM), Zimbabwe (ZIM), and the host country Chinese Taipei (TPE).
Q：Which sports are included in the Taipei Deaflympics？
A：20 sports are included: Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Cycling, Football, Handball, Orienteering, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball, Beach Volleyball, Water Polo, Wrestling Freestyle, Wrestling Greco-Roman, Karate, Judo and Taekwondo.
Q：How many facilities are there at the Taipei Deaflympics？Where are they？
A：There are 22 main facilities at the Taipei Deaflympics, most of which are located in Taipei City and Taipei County, except for the swimming pool used for swimming and water polo events in Hsinchu County; the shooting range in Taoyuan County; and the tennis courts at National Taiwan Sport University Taoyuan Campus (in case of rain). For more detailed information, please visit our official website at
http://www.2009deaflympics.org.
Q：When and where will the opening and closing ceremonies take place？
A：The opening ceremony is scheduled to start at 19:30 on September 5, 2009, while the closing ceremony will start at 19:30 on September 15, 2009. Both will be held at Taipei Stadium.
Q：Can the general public attend the opening and closing ceremonies？
A：The general public can attend the opening ceremony; however, they need to purchase tickets which will be available for sale online starting from June, 2009. The closing ceremony will not be open to the general public.
Q：Do I need to buy tickets in order to attend the competitions？
A：Except for opening and closing ceremonies, all facilities have free access to the public during the Taipei Deaflympics. For more detailed information on competition schedules, please visit our official website at
http://www.2009deaflympics.org.
Q：Are there other events besides sports competitions at the Taipei Deaflympics? Do I need to buy tickets in order
to attend？
A : Besides the sports competitions and Opening/Closing Ceremonies, the month of August has been designated the“Taipei Deaflympics Arts Month,”during which a series of performances by famous local and international artists will take place; schedules for the performances are as follows:
| Date |
Time |
Performance / Artist |
Location |
| 8/8 |
7:30 PM |
Live for Deaflympics
2009 A-Mei Harvest Festival Concert |
Taipei Arena |
8/19-8/23
8/22-8/23 |
2:30 PM
7:30 PM |
THE BLUE MAN GROUP |
Taipei Arena |
| 8/29-8/30 |
7:30 PM |
Dynamic Yunnan Folk Dance Troupe |
Taipei Arena |
| 9/5 |
7:30 PM |
Taipei Deaflympics Opening Ceremony |
Taipei Stadium |
Tickets for The Blue Man Group and Dynamic Yunnan Folk Dance are now available for sale online through Era Ticketing; please visit http://www.ticket.com.tw , print out the order form at the bottom of the website, fill it out, and fax it back to 886-2-2659-1411.
Tickets for the A-Mei concert and Opening Ceremony will go on sale around mid-June; further details will be announced on our official website.
In order to promote understanding of the Deaf culture, TDOC will be organizing the Taipei International Deaf Culture Fair during the Games, with a series of exhibitions and activities which include the following:
- Deaf Culture Exhibition: Deaf-related communities and associations (art, sports, educational media, etc.) will exhibit their history, works, and achievements, including special education and sign language interpreting.
- Deaf Art Exhibition: Exhibition of paintings, pottery, photography, flower arrangements, handicraft, carvings, and Chinese traditional arts; Deaf documentary and mini Deaf drama
- Deaf Talent Show: Deaf Model Show, Deaf Children’s play, Taipei Pantomime Company, Hands-on Sign Language Experience, SMS Interactive Games
- Photography Competition: A competition with the following themes: (a) Deaflympics venues (b) Deaf athletes (c) Deaf people & culture (d) Taipei city attractions; the winning entries will be displayed at the Fair during the Games.
- Games Social Center: A social area for all participants to meet with each other and have social and cultural exchanges.
The above events will mostly be held at Taipei Arena or at surrounding areas, and will be free to the general public.
Q：How can I cheer for the athletes？
A：It is highly suggested that audiences get online first, check the athletes’ competition schedules and names, and make clearly visible slogans or posters with the athletes’ names on them. Audiences can enter all facilities for free and enjoy the competitions under the guidance of our staff.
Q：Where can I buy Taipei Deaflympics merchandise products？
A：The Taipei Deaflympics Official Merchandise Shops are located at Taipei Arena 1F and at Taipei City Hall Patio; official merchandise can also be purchased online from our online merchandise shop at
http://www.taipei2009.com.tw/ Tel: 0800-890688
Q：How can I contact the Taipei Deaflympics Organising Committee？
A：4F., Taipei Arena, No. 2, Sec. 4, Nanjing E. Rd., Songshan District, Taipei City 10533, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Tel：02-25772009 Fax：02-25772851、02-25772852
