KAOHSIUNG: It turns out there were some big losers at this summer's 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, like the person who won the grand prize of a new house in the World Games Lucky Draw. Then there was the person who won the first prize of a new imported car. Of 8,573 prizes, only 770 were claimed, said Emily Cho-chuan, Chief Executive Officer of the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung Organizing Committee.

The unclaimed 7,803 prizes will be put up for public auction. Proceeds will be donated to help with relief and reconstruction in the wake of the Typhoon Morakot disaster, which wrought havoc between August 7 and 9.

The Kaohsiung city government is conducting a comprehensive review of the games and will publish the results when it completed, Hsu said.

The auction of the unclaimed prizes will be held at the end of September after the full-scale review is completed, Hsu added.

The World Games, featuring sports that are not included in Olympic Games competition, were held in Kaohsiung from July 16 to 26.

Competitions were held in events like karate, artistic roller skating, canoe polo, dragon boat racing and fin swimming, among others.

The event drew athletes, coaches and referees from 106 countries and regions. It was the first major international athletic competition hosted by Taiwan.

China Daily/CNA

(HK Edition 09/08/2009 page2)