By Duncan Mackay

Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee President Hong-Dow Lin (left) awarded Professor Pu Hao-Ming the 2014 IOC Trophy of “Sport and Art” ©Chinese Taipei Olympic CommitteeThe Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee has awarded the 2014 International Olympic Committee (IOC) Sport and Art Trophy to renowned sculptor Professor Pu Hao-ming.


Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee President Hong-Dow Lin presented the Trophy to Pu in recognition of his outstanding contribution and devotion to the development of sport and art in Taiwan in the presence of Tai-Ling Peng, Deputy General Director of Sport Administration of Ministry of Education and an Executive Board members of the National Olympic Committee (NOC).

Born in Chiayi City, Taiwan, in 1944, Pu is the son of Pu Tien-sheng, "one of the most influential scupltors in the history of Taiwan art."

His father privately tutored him until he entered the Chinese Cultural University in 1963.

Pu travelled and studied in Europe from 1980 to 1983 where his works, along with his father's, were selected for numerous Salon Exhibitions in Paris.

He returned to Taiwan and his most celebrated works from 1983 to 1995, including Female Rider, Fu Hsi Shih and Flower of Life, were collected by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts.

A statue of baseball pitcher Wu Mingjie is among the most celebrated sports works of Professor Pu Hao-Ming ©Japan Koshien Baseball History Museum A statue of baseball pitcher Wu Mingjie is among the most celebrated sports works of Professor Pu Hao-Ming ©Japan Koshien Baseball History Museum

Pu was nominated by Chinese Taipei NOC for the 2014 IOC Trophy for his continuous devotion and affection for art, and vivacious attention to involve and create his work piece with sport.

The most celebrated sports work of Pu in 2014 was the statute of a 1931 Kano baseball pitcher Wu Mingjie, "KANO1931. An Eagle Spreading Its Wings", which is now exhibited in Chiayi City centre.

About 60,000 people attended the parade for the unveiling ceremony of the statue and the premiere of the baseball movie "KANO".

A miniature version of the Wu statue was later collected by Japan Koshien Baseball History Museum and Tokyo Palace Museum. 

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