Kaohsiung Gymnastics Talent Gets a Home! Legislator Lai Conducts On-Site Inspection at Mingzheng Elementary to Advance NT$150 Million City-Level Professional Training Center

Kaohsiung's gymnastics talent development takes another leap forward! Legislative Yuan member Lai Jui-long has long advocated for the 'Mingzheng Elementary School Kaohsiung City Gymnastics Training Center New Construction Project,' repeatedly convening coordination meetings between central and local authorities. Today (the 14th), he conducted another on-site inspection at Mingzheng Elementary School in Cianjhen District, inviting Councilor Huang Yen-yu, council candidates Huang Jing-ya and Wu Yu-feng, along with representatives from the Sports Administration, Ministry of Education’s National Academy for Educational Research, Kaohsiung City Government’s Bureau of Sports Development, and Education Bureau. The goal is to further clarify responsibilities and funding distribution, accelerating the establishment of Kaohsiung’s first city-level professional gymnastics training base.

Lai stated that Kaohsiung has long cultivated outstanding gymnasts, with Guanghua Elementary, Lequn Elementary, Mingzheng Elementary, Guanghua Junior High, and Ruixiang Senior High now actively involved in gymnastics talent development, gradually establishing a three-tier training system from elementary to high school. Additionally, the gymnastics committee and private clubs continue to contribute, forming a solid foundation for talent cultivation.

He pointed out that what Kaohsiung needs most now is a city-level professional venue capable of integrating grassroots training, professional competitive training, coach development, and event hosting—freeing athletes from limitations of existing facilities and enabling them to train in a safer, more complete, and competition-compliant environment.

According to Kaohsiung City Government plans, the new gymnastics training center at Mingzheng Elementary will cost approximately NT$150 million, with 80% sought as central government subsidies and the remainder funded locally. The facility will be designated as a 'teaching and training-type' professional center, equipped with full international-standard apparatus including FIG-certified floor mats, vault, pommel horse, rings, parallel bars, horizontal bar, balance beam, uneven bars, trampolines, tumbling tracks, and spring floors. It will also incorporate barrier-free access, gender-inclusive, and family-friendly features.

Lai emphasized that today’s on-site inspection was specially arranged not just to confirm the existence of a plan, but to further clarify lead agencies, funding sources, and subsequent administrative procedures—ensuring the city government can smoothly link plans with budgets and actually construct the training center.

During the inspection, Deputy Minister Yang Chi-wen of the Sports Administration and Deputy Director Dai Shu-fen of the National Academy for Educational Research jointly committed to presenting a responsibility framework within two weeks, further confirming central-local division of labor and future implementation direction. Principal Kao Yu-shan of Mingzheng Elementary, representing the school and gymnastics training team, expressed gratitude and hopes for continued cooperation between central and local governments to realize the facility’s construction as soon as possible.

Lai stressed that the gymnastics training center is more than just a sports facility—it represents a vital investment in Kaohsiung’s next generation. In the future, beyond serving as a professional training base for athletes, providing a safe and comprehensive environment for pursuing competitive dreams, the center will also gradually host gymnastics courses, activities, and competitions, allowing more children, youth, and citizens to engage with gymnastics—expanding from elite athlete development to community-wide sports participation.

He added that successfully completing the city-level gymnastics training center would further integrate Kaohsiung’s existing three-tier talent development system, creating a seamless chain from grassroots foundations to professional training and onto competitive stages—enabling Kaohsiung not only to cultivate athletes but also to become a major gymnastics hub in southern Taiwan.