Author & Photographer Vision
Editor Julien Huang
This year, Taipei will once again host a major multi-sports event. Compared to the Deaflympics (2009) and the Summer Universiade (2017), the World Masters Games will be much larger in scale, in terms of the number of participants, sports, and venues. Here are some facts and information for participants in this grand international athletic gathering.
For detailed information about the 2025 World Masters Games, visit the official multilingual event website (wmg2025.tw) and follow the social media accounts (FB, IG, and YouTube). General information about the Games, which are held every four years, can be found on the International Masters Games Association website (imga.ch).
Dates: May 17-30
Venues: 69 Taipei City (27), New Taipei City (26), Taoyuan City (8), Hsinchu City (1), Hsinchu County (3), and Yilan County (4)
Sports
Participants will compete in 35 sports, ranging from popular choices like football, basketball, and swimming to less common disciplines such as flying disc, woodball, and orienteering.
Participants
More than 25,000 athletes from over 130 countries, including more than 6,000 international competitors, will participate in the Games. Among them are renowned local and international athletes, past their prime but with impressive records in professional international competitions. These include Taiwanese archers Chen Szu-yuan (Silver) and Yuan Shu-chi (Bronze), medalists at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. Also expected are taekwondoin Taiwanese-American Elva Adams, a Bronze medalist at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics; Tanja Engels, who represented West Germany in international competitions from 1973 to 1980; and wrestler/influencer Jang Eun-sil from South Korea who was invited by the city government last year to visit Taiwan and promote the Games.
Among the notable non-professional athletes are Taipei City Mayor Chiang Wan-an and New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih who will compete in table tennis.
Watching the Games
Spectators can attend the competitions for free. The Games will also be broadcast live on WMG’s official YouTube channel (youtube.com/@WMG2025).
WMG2025 FunPASS
The Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government has launched a limited edition of 3,000 WMG2025 FunPASS cards to coincide with the event. These cards, featuring the Games’ mascot “Strong” function like standard stored-value EasyCards and can be used for public transport and purchases at convenience stores. They also grant free admission to 3 of 20 popular attractions across Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Yilan, plus free gifts and shopping discounts at participating stores in four popular Taipei tourist areas: Yongkang, Maokong, Dadaocheng, and Ximending.
Beyond the sports competitions, the Games offer a wonderful opportunity for visitors to explore Taipei and the surrounding areas. For travel recommendations, visit www.travel.taipei/wmg2025/en/tours.
Opening and Closing Ceremonies
The opening ceremony, themed “We Share the Same Sky,” will be held on May 17 at 7pm at the Taipei Dome. The program will feature a dance and music performance blending Taiwanese classics with high-tech elements.
The closing ceremony, themed “We are the world,” will take place on May 30 at 7pm at the New Taipei City Art Museum in Yingge District. It will include performances by local entertainers, a fireworks display, and the Flame of Hope transfer.
Both ceremonies are open to the public. The opening ceremony, however, requires tickets (see the official website for details), while the closing ceremony is free.
This article is reproduced under the permission of TAIPEI. Original content can be found on the website of Taipei Travel Net (www.travel.taipei/en).
