TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The eastern Taiwanese county of Hualien is planning to carry out over 90 domestic and international sporting events this year to boost local tourism, the county government said Tuesday (March 16).

During a ceremony to mark the beginning of the sports season, the Hualien County Government announced that it has scheduled a total of 97 sports competitions for 2021, including the National Youth Triathlon in May. It said that 28 venues in the county will be put into use and that there would be about one competition a week throughout the rest of the year.

Hsu Wei-wen (徐蔚文), division chief at the Hualien Education Department, explained the county has organized more athletic events in 2020 than in previous years, as it has remained relatively untouched by the coronavirus pandemic. She said the authorities are hoping to attract more business opportunities to the area by hosting large-scale events on a regular basis.

Hualien County Magistrate Hsu Chen-wei (徐榛蔚) also gave her best wishes to the 624 athletes who will be representing the county at the 2021 National Indigenous Games on Friday (March 19) in Yilan County, including "Taiwan's fastest man" Yang Chun-Han (楊俊瀚), who holds the 100- and 200-meter national records. She said she is confident the players will shine in the upcoming competition and exceed their own expectations.

"Taiwan's fastest man" Yang Chun-Han will represent Hualien in the 2021 National Indigenous Games. (CNA photo)