The “2016 Seven Star Mountain King” cross-country trail run event has sparked controversy, with the Yangmingshan National Park Administration refusing to approve its hosting, yet the organizers still plan to proceed as scheduled. The Taipei City Sports Bureau stated today that it respects the management stance of each venue authority and also hopes the organizers will respect the opinion of the Yangmingshan Management Office.
The “2016 Seven Star Mountain King” cross-country trail run competition, organized by the Taiwan Sports Leisure Industry Development Association and the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association, and managed by Weiyue Sports Marketing Co., was not approved for hosting by the Yangmingshan National Park Administration on the grounds of potential impacts on safety and the ecological environment. However, the event organizers claimed on Facebook that the event would still take place on the 30th.
Yangmingshan National Park Administration Director Chen Maochun stated today that this would absolutely not be permitted, and they will request the Taiwan Police College’s 7th Brigade to collect evidence on-site that day, with potential fines of over NT$1 million at the maximum.
The Sports Bureau explained that the “2016 Seven Star Mountain King” event required venue planning and various administrative assistance for its organization and hosting, which the bureau coordinated with relevant government agencies. However, the Yangmingshan National Park Administration did not agree to the event taking place, based on considerations of ecological protection and activity safety.
In order to promote a culture of national fitness, the Sports Bureau stated that it supports and assists in the promotion of various sports activities, but still adheres to the principle of respecting the management stance of each venue authority. Therefore, it has never agreed to the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association and the Taiwan Sports Leisure Industry Development Association organizing the “2016 Seven Star Mountain King event.”
However, recently receiving inquiries from some runners regarding the controversy surrounding the event, the bureau hopes the organizers will respect the opinion of the Yangmingshan Management Office, in order to protect the natural environment of Yangmingshan National Park and the safety of general visitors.
The Sports Bureau also mentioned that, in order to protect the rights and interests of registered participants, it has asked the organizers to properly handle subsequent matters such as refunding registration fees. 1050427
(Central News Agency)