In May of the following year, Mayor Hsieh, along with SAC member Mr. Lin, formally notified the IWGA of Kaohsiung’s intention to host The World Games 2009. Only one month later, all 19 SAC members met with Kaohsiung representatives in Taipei to draw up the first strategies and work plans. Another joint meeting was held in Kaohsiung shortly thereafter. In July 2003, one year after President Froehlich's initial visit, the Executive Yuan ratified the Council’s actions. Kaohsiung City would represent Chinese Taipei in the bid to host The World Games in 2009.


The IWGA acknowledged and approved the bid: Kaohsiung became one of the candidate cities to host The World Games2009. An official delegation flew from Kaohsiung to Europe in order to provide the members of the IWGA Executive Committee with additional information on all aspects covered in the bid file. The delegation was made up of Mr. Tsai from the Kaohsiung City Government, Mr. Tseng from the Kaohsiung City Education Bureau, Mrs. Hsu from the Sports Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan, Mr. C.K. Wu and Mrs. Hsu from the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, and of Dr. Chen from the National Sun Yat-sen University. Hopping from one airport to the next – Rotterdam, Zurich, Milan and Barcelona were on the itinerary – in a whirlwind ten days, they transmitted the energy and enthusiasm of Kaohsiung to the members of the IWGA executive.

The trip was successful. As a direct result, the IWGA President and the IWGA Secretary General announced that they would come to Kaohsiung for yet another round of conversations and for site inspections. Even more reports, promotional materials, marketing videos as well as presentations of the new stadium and other planned construction projects were prepared. Comments and critiques which the six-member delegation had gathered during the trip to Europe were instrumental in getting everything just right.


President Ron Froehlich and Secretary General Co Koren arrived in Kaohsiung in December 2003. They were taken to the potential venues, including the site of the future main stadium of Kaohsiung: “The dedication of Kaohsiung City is evident to everyone.” Their statement was repeated later by Rinaldo Orlandi, the President of the International Ju-jitsu Federation and a member of the IWGA Executive Committee. During his visit to Kaohsiung in March 2004, Orlandi commented that Kaohsiung had made a deep impression on him.


On June 14, 2004, the IWGA officially named Kaohsiung City as host to The World Games 2009. Mayor Frank Hsieh and IWGA President Ron Froehlich signed the Host City Contract to have the eighth edition staged in the port city. The IWGA President returned a few months later to join the citizens in their celebrations over winning the bid race. During the festivities another decisive step towards successful World Games in 2009 was taken: the Kaohsiung Organizing Committee was constituted.


While the preparatory work for The 8th World Games 2009 Kaohsiung had just started, The 7th World Games were about to conclude in Duisburg, Germany, in July 2005. During the Closing Ceremony, which was attended by a large delegation from Kaohsiung, the Duisburg organizers handed the IWGA flag back to President Froehlich. Mayor Chen Chi-Mai then stepped forward to receive the flag on behalf of Kaohsiung City. The handover not only symbolized the end of The World Games 2005, it transmitted an upbeat message to the assembled athletes and officials: the next games will take place in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei.