The 40th Golden Mountain Bay Area Chinese Sports Games torch lighting ceremony was held in a grand manner at the Nansha Qiao Jiao Center on July 13th last Saturday, attracting hundreds of participants.
At 10 a.m. that day, with a gong sound from the Chairman of the Chinese Sports Association, Chen Chaoquan, the event officially began. The Air Force Da Peng Association flag team escorted the flags of the Republic of China and the United States into the venue. Following that, FASCA flag bearers raised the flags of the United States and the Republic of China in a solemn atmosphere accompanied by the national anthem.
Chen Chaoquan mentioned that the sacred flame of the Bay Area Chinese Sports Games started from the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in San Francisco, passed through the Chinese Cultural Center in Sacramento, and arrived in New York before returning to the Bay Area. He expressed hope for more opportunities to pass the sacred flame to various states in the future, to make the entire America understand the Chinese Sports Games of the Golden Mountain Bay Area and to attract everyone to participate in this grand event.
The Director of the Taiwan Representative Office in San Francisco, Lai Mingqi, stated that the Chinese Sports Games continue to innovate and have added many new activities, believing that more overseas compatriots will be attracted to participate. The focus of the games is not on winning but on participation, fostering friendship among participants. He hopes today’s torch relay will attract more people to join this grand event.
The Director of the Nansha Overseas Chinese Cultural and Education Center, Zhuang Yashu, emphasized that the Chinese Sports Games not only unite the hearts of overseas Chinese but also help more mainstream communities in the Bay Area understand the Taiwanese overseas Chinese community. She believes that the torch relay of the Chinese Sports Games holds three significant meanings: first, symbolizing the generational inheritance of the spirit of the games; second, spreading the spirit of the games worldwide; and third, conveying the ideas of freedom, democracy, and peace of Taiwan to the mainstream community in the Bay Area.
Following that, led by Overseas Chinese Affairs Advisory Committee member Lu Yuzhen, guests held the sacred flame and circled the Overseas Chinese Education Center, symbolizing the inheritance of the spirit of the Chinese Sports Games.
Attendees at the torch lighting ceremony included Overseas Chinese Affairs Secretary Xu Caifeng, Overseas Chinese Affairs Commissioners Wei Dezhen and Wu Yiming, Fremont Vice Mayor Shao Yang, Councilor Raj Salwan, Fremont Unified School District Commissioner Zhang Yajing, and Cupertino Vice Mayor J.R. Fruen. Fruen, on behalf of the city of Cupertino, presented certificates and thanked the Chinese Sports Games for promoting community cohesion through sports over the past 40 years.
During the ceremony, the Fitness Drum Team, American California Line Dance Association, Silicon Valley Healthy Praise Aerobics, Feather in the Wind, Yuan Ji Dance, Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee “Overseas Youth Culture Ambassadors Association” (FASCA), and Dance 120 Class, also presented exciting performances, adding a lively atmosphere to the event.
The Bay Area Chinese Sports Games, one of the largest sports events for overseas Chinese, was established in 1985 and has been held every year except for 2020.
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