TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Organizers of a marathon in southern Taiwan on Sunday apologized after awarding winners with trophies shaped like rifles used by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The Fengshan Marathon, held in Kaohsiung’s Fengshan District, was organized by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the Fengshan Road Running Association, with sponsorship from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hsu Chih-chieh (許智傑), UDN reported. However, as runners from various categories crossed the finish line around noon, many were surprised to receive gun-shaped trophies.
Facebook groups such as the Taiwan Airsoft and Airgun Association quickly identified the trophies as miniature replicas of the PLA Type 95 automatic rifle. The group urged government agencies to conduct a thorough investigation, stating that dismissing the issue as an "unintentional mistake" would highlight shortcomings in national defense education.
Kuomintang (KMT) Kaohsiung City Party Headquarters spokesperson Chang Yung-chieh (張永杰) said some runners found the trophies odd due to the rifle design. After checking online, they discovered the trophies were purchased from Taobao and were miniature versions of a Chinese military rifle.
In response, Hsu acknowledged the organizing unit’s oversight, confirming that the trophies were not modeled after Taiwanese military weapons. He immediately requested a recall, apologized for the mistake, and pledged greater caution in future events.
The Fengshan Road Running Association explained that marathon trophies are typically shaped like horses, but this year they sought a more unique design and selected the gun-shaped trophy based on a sample from a manufacturer.
At the time, the association believed the trophies were made in Taiwan and was unaware that the design was based on a Chinese-made rifle, leading to unexpected controversy.
The Army Command Headquarters stated that in previous years, the MND's role in the event was primarily to provide venue support, Rti reported. Moving forward, it pledged to remind organizing units to be more vigilant in preventing similar incidents.
