OLYMPICS/Parade honoring Taiwan's Olympians to be held in Taipei

Taipei, Aug. 14 (CNA) Dozens of Taiwanese athletes who competed in the recently concluded Olympic Games will take part in a parade in Taipei on Friday afternoon along with their families and coaches to mark their achievements in the quadrennial event in Paris.

The parade honoring Taiwanese athletes will kick off from the Presidential Office at 3 p.m. on Friday, Lee Hou-ching (李厚慶), secretary-general of the General Association of Chinese Culture (GACC), said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Setting out from Section 1 of Chongqing S. Road, the procession will pass down Xiangyang Road and Guanqian Road before ending on Zhongxiao W. Road, Lee said.

He noted that the parade will be led by a military motorcade and feature several marching bands.

Approximately 4,000 to 5,000 Taiwanese flags and event-specific flags produced by the GACC -- the main organizer of the parade -- will be distributed along the streets to people who wish to join the exuberant celebration, he added.

Lee also encouraged the public to bring their own banners and signs to warmly welcome "our Taiwanese heroes" returning home.

Deputy Education Minister Chang Liao Wan-chien (張廖萬堅), meanwhile, told the press event that some 67 athletes and their coaches, as well as eight referees who worked in the Paris Olympics, will take part in the procession on military vehicles.

The participating Olympians will include gold medalists boxer Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷) and badminton player Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟), and bronze-winning athletes, including boxer Chen Nien-chin (陳念琴), gymnast Tang Chia-hung (唐嘉鴻) and sharpshooter Lee Meng-yuan (李孟遠), according to the deputy minister.

Some of the athletes will also be accompanied by their family members, said Chang Liao, whose ministry oversees the Sports Administration.

Traffic controls will be in place in the area as early as Thursday at 9 p.m., according to the Taipei City Police Department's traffic division.

Before the parade, a "party," to be held exclusively for the athletes, their coaches, families and support teams, as well as referees, will take place at the Presidential Office on Friday at 1 p.m., with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) expected to welcome and chat with the attendees.

The celebrations, including the party and the procession, will be live-streamed, said the GACC secretary-general.