When the 21st Summer Deaflympics Taipei 2009 begins on September 4 with a soccer game and continues the next day with lavish opening ceremonies, Taipei will become the host city of the world’s fastest-growing multiple sports event. The games will bring together nearly 4,000 athletes from more than 80 countries, plus another 2,800 local volunteers who are currently training in two universities in Taipei.

Organizers are betting that the Deaflympics will bring welcome publicity to the city, highlighting its culture, cuisine, famous attractions, and other tourism virtues, while at the same time increasing global understanding of Taiwan. Famous spokespeople for the games will include two Olympic bronze medalists from Taiwan, Chen Wei-ling and Lu Ying-chi. Film star Jackie Chan, who is deaf in one ear, and Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou are also vigorous advocates for the event.

The sports aspect aside, the Deaflympics, which are held every four years, are one of the most important international events of any kind for the deaf community. The forum that the Deaflympics provides for networking and socializing within that community has long been an important aspect of the games.

From its inception in 1924, when 145 athletes from nine European countries competed, the Deaflympics have experienced remarkable growth. During the 20th Summer Deaflympics in Melbourne, Australia in 2005, 3,660 athletes from 97 countries took part. The games added a winter version in 1949, and that event has also snowballed into a popular competition, with 253 athletes from 22 countries participating in the most recent winter Deaflympic games in Sweden.

Like the Paralympics and the Special Olympics, the Deaflympics come under the aegis of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and as a result, many of the events will be familiar to sports fans. Track and field events predominate, including runs of 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000 meters, and a marathon. The two top hurdling events, the steeplechase, and a pair of relays – the 4 x 100 and the 4 x 400 – round out the track events, while field events include high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, discus, javelin, and hammer throw. The same events, which also include a decathlon and heptathlon, are held for both men and women.

Aside from track and field, other competitions will include swimming, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, cycling, handball, judo, karate, table tennis, wrestling, and water polo. A special starting light system is used in track and field events, and flags rather than whistles are used to call penalties or otherwise notify the athletes during the games.

Although the games are sanctioned by the IOC, they are different from other global sporting events in several ways. Organizational and managerial support is provided by members of the deaf community, and unlike the Olympics and the World Games, which normally require a large amount of national support, the 21st Summer Deaflympics is being funded primarily by the Taipei City Government. The city has estimated that staging the event will cost about NT$4 billion (US$125 million), with much of that investment going into the building of the new Taipei Stadium.

Glory aside, Taiwanese athletes will have an extra incentive this year, as local gold-medal winners will receive checks for more than NT$1 million, the largest reward ever offered to Taiwanese Deaflympics participants. Local athletes are expected to excel at the games; during the most recent Deaflympics in Melbourne in 2005, Taiwan ranked fifth among all participants, winning nine gold medals, four silvers, and three bronzes.

Taipei was named host city for the event in 2003 after a vigorous bidding process, and with the opening ceremonies rapidly approaching, the city has been busy getting ready. Among the most important preparations are the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, which will be held September 5 and September 15 at the new Taipei Stadium, a state-of-the-art 20,000-seat venue next to the Taipei Arena.

Many of the competitions will be held in the new Taipei Stadium, including all the track and field events, and the football matches. The Taipei Arena will also play a starring role, hosting the table tennis competitions. Aside from those, the rest of the events will be held in existing venues, including various high school, university, and public sports facilities. Altogether, the 20 events will be held at 27 sites throughout the city as well as in Taipei County, while the swimming events will take place in Hsinchu County Swimming Plaza, and the shooting events at Gongsi Shooting Range in Taoyuan County, both of which are fairly close to Taipei.

Some of the events will serve as a broader showcase for Taipei and its surroundings. Cyclists will ride along a route that follows the north coast highway between Jinshan and Danshui, while the orienteering competition will be held on the forested slopes of Yangmingshan. Tennis will be played in the Rainbow Riverside Sport Park, if the weather allows, while Pacific Green Bay will play host to beach volleyball, one of the most popular of all the sports among spectators.

Like the Olympics, the Deaflympics are replete with mascots and logos. The choice of mascot for next month’s games is the modest Taipei Green Tree Frog, a small but strong amphibian that is known for its ability to jump long distances. The analogy between the frog and Taiwan is obvious. Like the small frog, which can jump unexpectedly far, Taiwan has impressed the world with its outsized economic success. The male cartoon frog is decorated with a banyan tree (the official tree of Taipei), while the female wears an azalea flower (the city’s official flower).

The frogs are joined by an official emblem that incorporates the Chinese character for north (北 bei), representing Taipei, along with an ear that represents the participants, and a stylish curved figure that symbolizes the games themselves.