A security guard patrols outside the World Games venue in southern Kaohsiung city yesterday. AFP

TAIPEI: It's the big day for Kaohsiung as Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou officially opens the 2009 World Games, and Taiwan steps forward to impress the world with its high-tech facilities.

New Zealand singer Hayley Westenra will head a lineup of international and domestic performers.

A mammoth "surround array" fireworks display will help to get the games underway with a bang.

The games will see 4,748 athletes from around the globe compete in 31 events.

The 11-day event has special significance in Taiwan.

"This is a rare chance for Taiwan to make itself better understood by the world," Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu told AFP.

Chen said Kaohsiung, once known for its heavy industry, has remade itself and would impress the world on several fronts.

At the heart of Kaohsiung's rebranding efforts is a new 40,000-seat main stadium designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito, which cost NT$4.7 billion ($142 million).

"This is the world's first eco-stadium," said a proud official from the organizing committee.

The stadium has more than 8,000 solar power panels on its roof, capable of generating 1.1 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, cutting annual carbon dioxide output by 660 tons.

"We hope to share with the world our success in environmental protection and reduction of greenhouse emissions over the past four years," the city's mayor said.

Kaohsiung has built a subway system, introduced more wetlands and cleaned up its heavily-polluted river. It has also ordered the temporary shutdown of four steel mills to reduce pollution during the games.

Chen, who is also chair of the World Games Organizing Committee, says the World Games focus more on the spirit of friendship and community cooperation than the Olympics.

She has predicted the World Games will prove a great success.

The 2009 World Games will be the biggest since the event was launched in Santa Clara, California, in 1981, the organizing committee said.

The games, which involve sports that are not part of the Olympics, are held every four years, a year after the Olympiad.

Events range from better-known sports like rugby sevens and softball to Latin dance, artistic roller skating, tug of war and korfball - a sport similar to basketball but played by teams consisting of four male and four female players, making it the world's only dedicated mixed team sport.

New to the games this year will be dragon boat racing. Based on the Chinese festivals, the sport involves a crew of 16 to 20 paddling to the beat of a drum.

In a bid to ensure the games' success, Kaohsiung's mayor even travelled to Beijing in May to promote the event. The mainland contingent to the World Games comprises 78 athletes who will compete in nine sports.

Organizers said seats for the games' opening event in the new stadium were sold out.

However many of the Games' events have sold only between 40 and 60 percent of seats for competitions.

Lower than expected ticket sales have prompted many hotels to put on "Games specials" to try to attract guests.

AFP

(HK Edition 07/16/2009 page2)