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The World Games 2009 Kaohsiung is one of the most anticipated international events on this year's sporting calendar.

On Sunday at Raffles City Shopping Centre in Singapore, Yang Ching Shun and Cerie Chang, two of the most talked about professional pool players from Taiwan were in Singapore to promote the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung. Nicknamed the "Son of Pool", Yang has been regarded as a potential world champion. In the 1998 Asian Games, Yang defeated the then world pool champion Kunihiko Takahashi. In 2002, Yang returned to the Asian Games to defend his title and also picked up a second-runner up finish in the World Pool Championship.

Joining him as the darling of pool in Taiwan is 24-year-old Chang, the current number one player in the country and world number nine. Over 4,000 people crowded around the atrium at Raffles City Shopping Centre to watch the showcase of their skills as the two Taiwanese players went up against local pool champions Bernard Tay and Charlene Chai as a warm-up to the Games.

The World Games, held once every four years, is the biggest international multi-sports games after the Olympic Games.

Over 11 days, athletes from 30 sports take to the platform to compete for the highest accolade in their respective fields. Taiwan is hosting an event of such international stature for the first time from 16 to 26 July 2009.

Approximately 5,000 athletes and officials from almost 100 countries around the world will be welcomed to the beautiful and picturesque city of Kaohsiung where the Games will be held. Athletes from sports such as Squash, Bowling, Billiards, Sumo, Wushu, Ju-Jitsu, Softball, Body Building, Water Ski, Dragon Boat and many more will come together to pit their skills up against each other.

More details and information can be found on the Games website www.worldgames2009.tw

Team Singapore will also be represented at the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung. Amongst the local National Sports Associations who will be sending their athletes to Kaohsiung are bowling and wakeboarding. The Singapore Bowling Federation will be sending one female and one male representative while the Wakeboard Association (Singapore) will be represented by Sasha Christian, who is Singapore's number one ranked female wakeboarder.

A major highlight of the event is the amazing Main Stadium built in Kaohsiung specifically for the World Games 2009.

Designed by well-known Japanese architect Toyo Ito, The World Games 2009 Main Stadium is a unique structure inspired by the dynamic flow of the river. Not only was the building influenced by nature in terms of design, it was also constructed with the conservation of nature in mind.

The open-space infrastructure of the stadium makes it able to use natural air ventilation without wasting energy on air-conditioning. Also, the installation of solar panel on the rooftop makes the Main Stadium the largest BIPV in Taiwan.

It can generate 1.1 million kWH in electricity and reduce up to 660t of CO2 per year, making it the first building in Taiwan to achieve all 9 indicators of a green building.

The building also has the honour of being the first in Taiwan to reach the first-class standard of international sport venue of IAAF. With a sitting capacity of 40,000, the Main Stadium has emerged as a model for green buildings around the world for its power-saving abilities.

Aside from the Main Stadium, the World Games will be held across 23 different venues throughout Kaohsiung, including the Kaohsiung Metropolitan Park, Cultural Center Jhihde Hall, Kaohsiung Arena, Chengcing Lake and Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts.

Visitors to Kaohsiung will not only be able to enjoy watching athletes from all over the world come together in the name of sport but at the same time will be able to take in all the beautiful sights that Kaohsiung has to offer.

Ms Shyh-Fang Liu, Managing Director of the Kaohsiung Organizing Committee, said, "Taiwan is very honoured and excited to have the opportunity to host an event of such magnitude. I believe that Kaohsiung has the ability to deliver on all aspects to ensure that the World Games 2009 will be an enjoyable event for all the participating athletes, their teams and spectators around the world.

"Kaohsiung not only has the infrastructure required to support the event, it also offers visitors beautiful scenery to go sight-seeing and is rich in culture and history." She added,

"All in all, we are definitely going to do our very best as host to the World Games and present Kaohsiung to the world as an amazing destination for anyone and everyone."

Information and tickets to the World Games 2009 Kaohsiung can be found here!