POSTED: 2012-02-09 12:02:09
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAURA WALDEN / Sports Features Communications
TAMPA/SEOUL: The PyeongChang 2018 winter Games will kick off on February 9 in just six years’ time but the Alpensia area is busy these days with the latest edition of the Dream Program.
The PyeongChang Organizing Committee Olympic Games (POCOG) is busy laying the foundations for the first South Korean winter Olympics, under the leadership of Jin Sun Kim.
Kim, former Governor of the Gangwon Province, was a driving force through the last three bids to bring the Olympcs to the area and helped establish the Dream Program.
SportsFeatures.com had the chance to catch up with POCOG Vice President and Secretary General Dong Hoo Moon recently and he talked about his excitement to now be involved with the winter Games.
Moon said, “Personally I am honored to be back in the Olympic Movement, I was involved a long time ago. For me, I started my career in sports management back in 1983 when I joined the Seoul Olympics organizing committee where I served as sports director.
“Then somehow that experience helped me to get involved with events like the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the Daegu IAAF Athletics Championships, and finally with the winter Olympic Games meaning that I am completing my whole career. I think maybe this is very unique, I don’t think that anyone has ever done so many events.
“Certainly I am really honored and privileged to be involved in such a prestigious event and this is the first time that I am involved in winter sports and it is a big challenge. I hope that we will be able to create a legacy not only for me but for Gangwon Province and Korea, that is my wish.”
He laughed about the pressure of being at the top again, “So far all the events that I’ve been involved with in the organization have been successful, so that is a must.”
Moon also said that he had good impressions of attending Innsbruck 2012, “I can’t compare the Youth Olympic Games with the Olympic Games but everything there and especially the transportation was organized perfectly. The atmosphere in Innsbruck was very good, of course it is not a real competition, but it is great for the youngsters to get together and in terms of education it is really good.”
Dream Program 2012
The ninth annual edition of the Dream Program kicked off yesterday and will run from Feb. 8-19 offering young people from countries where winter sports are not available the opportunity to come to South Korea and have a taste of the Olympic spirit. The sports events will take place at many of the venues that will host the Olympics in 2018.
Approximately 143 young people from 30 countries were invited to attend and these include eight African countries, Nigeria, Kenya, Togo and Uganda, 14 Asian countries, and six South American countries.
IOC Coordination Commission
Next month the IOC coordination commission, led by IOC executive board member Gunilla Lindberg, will be visiting PyeongChang and the Olympic venues between March 19-23 to meet with POCOG and inspect the start of the preparations for the Games.
For more information contact:
Laura Walden ()
Keir Radnedge ()
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