City News-The Two Cities officially receive the flag for World Masters Games 2025 Taipei & New Taipei City, the first World Masters Games to be held in Asia

Held once every four years, in May 2025, the World Masters Games (WMG) will be held in Taipei City and New Taipei City over 14 days. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-Ih received the flag of the WMG2025 from International Masters Games Association (IMGA) CEO Jens V. Holm on November 2, 2022 at the Regent Taipei. The ceremony was attended by many figures from the sporting world in addition to the Administrative Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education, Lin Teng-Chiao, Vice President of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee (CTOC) Chen, Shyh-Kwei and representatives from co-organizing cities and counties Taoyuan City, Hsinchu County and Yilan County, displaying the passion of WMG 2025 Taipei City and New Taipei City and the determination to actively prepare for the games.

Mayor Ko said that WMG 2025 Taipei City and New Taipei City is the first time the WMG has been held in Asia. Organizing work began as soon as the contract was signed with IMGA in 2020. Receiving the flag today also represents the taking on of the heavy responsibility of organizing the games. He expressed the hope that, as the first WMG to be held in Asia, WMG 2025 Taipei City and New Taipei City can be a model for others. During this rare visit of the CEO of IMGA to Taipei, as well as hearing a report on organizing progress to date, he was also taken to inspect every key venue and shared the precious experience and opinions of the IMGA relating to holding the WMG to raise the level of games planning capability. Following the experience of 2017 Taipei Universiade, organizing will strive to give athletes from around the world a complete competition experience.
 
Mayor Hou said that the contract signing was completed with IMGA president and CEO two years ago through a video call due to the COVID-19 pandemic; also due to the pandemic, the WMG Two Cities has replaced WMG Kansai, originally set to be held in 2021 but put back to 2027, as the first WMG to be held in Asia. During this IMGA visit, the Two Cities organizing team have displayed results at this stage and received guidance and suggestions from the IMGA. Mayor Hou stressed that, based on the experience of successfully holding the International Children’s Games in 2016. In 2025, New Taipei City and Taipei City will once again make Taiwan proud through large-scale competitions, and will definitely bring the world a different kind of World Master Games.
 
At the flag handover ceremony for the WMG 2025 Taipei City and New Taipei City, a video was shown showing the process of bidding, contract signing and organizing for the event after the end of the Taipei Universiade. IMGA President Sergey Bubka also appeared in a video wishing the flag handover ceremony a complete success and look forward to WMG 2025. At the end of the ceremony, an indigenous culture display showed Taiwan’s unique cultural characteristics.
 
WMG 2025 Taipei City and New Taipei City will be a grand sports event that combines international exchange, cultural experience and tourism. To be held May 17-30, 2025, it will have 35 sports and almost 40,000 competitors and friends and family from 110 countries; it will drive tourism and bring peripheral economic benefits, providing an estimated NT$100 billion in overall economic benefits. This year, the official website and fan page have been established. For follow-up activity information, keep a close eye on the website and fan page.