Trophy at Taiwan's Military Marathon Features Chinese Rifle

TaiwanPlus News

Taiwan's annual marathon held on military grounds has sparked controversy after mistakenly using a rifle used by China's People's Liberation Army as the trophy design. The organizers have apologized and said they will pay more attention to detail in the future.

Transcript

00:00Three, two, one, go!

00:04And they're off.

00:06Taiwan's Three Schools Marathon,

00:08the only foot race that takes place inside military areas,

00:11is underway in Kaohsiung.

00:13But it hasn't gone off without a hitch.

00:15Controversy erupted online

00:17when several people noticed something wrong with the trophy,

00:20which features a rifle,

00:21strikingly similar to one used by China's People's Liberation Army.

00:25At first, I thought it was a six-gun.

00:27The military uses this kind of trophy.

00:29Maybe they didn't pay attention to it.

00:31Because a lot of trophies in Taiwan are made in China.

00:35This year's marathon attracted 2,500 participants,

00:39many of them former or retired service members.

00:42And while many were surprised about the trophy's design,

00:44some also said they hadn't immediately caught the difference

00:47after years away from the military.

00:49The marathon was organized by the Fengshan Jogging Association

00:53and the office of Xu Zhijie,

00:55a lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party.

00:58Several politicians attended,

01:00and it had the official support of Taiwan's Defense Ministry

01:02and the Army Command Headquarters.

01:05Yet, no one seems to have noticed the issue with the trophy's design.

01:08Because you have to show it to the public in detail.

01:13You can't just randomly pass by.

01:17The organizers have apologized,

01:19promising to replace the trophies

01:20and to pay more attention in the future.

01:23I apologize to the organizers

01:25for using non-Chinese military guns to make the trophy.

01:30I have asked for immediate refunds

01:33and apologize to the relevant organizations and people.

01:38The marathon offers a chance for many of the runners

01:40to relive their time in the military.

01:43But the mistake,

01:44from an event meant to celebrate Taiwan's military

01:46and national identity,

01:48has left some feeling confused and embarrassed.

01:51Scott Huang and Chelsea Wu for Taiwan Plus.

Category

Transcript

Recommended