POSTED: July 5th 2011
NewsUpdate
PyeongChang spreads message for expansion of winter sport
LAURA WALDEN in Durban / Sports Features Communications
DURBAN, Jul 05: The leaders of the PyeongChang 2018 bid met with the press 48 hours out of the vote for the 2018 winter Games to emphasize their message.
The ‘New Horizons’ concept opens the door on the Asian winter sports market.
The senior leaders of the Korean bid included ceo Yang Ho Cho, Special Envoy for the bid on behalf of President Lee, Jin-Sun Kim, gold medal figure skater, Yu-Na Kim, the minister for sport, culture and tourism, Byoung-Gug Choung, the Gangwon Governor, Moon-Soon Choi, KOC president, Yong Sung Park, and Seok Yong Yoon, Korean head of paralympics.
Ceo Cho said, “At the heart of PyeongChang’s bid for the 2018 winter Games is the desire to help the Olympic Movement and winter sport to expand to new regions of the world. We call this simple yet powerful vision, ‘New Horizons’.
"Here at the IOC Session in Durban, we are seeing the spirit of ‘New Horizons’ come alive – the Olympic Movement is spreading its positive messages to a new part of the world, reaching new hearts and minds.
"It would be our honour to now help the Olympic Movement and the world of winter sports by hosting the first Winter Games in Korea, and only the third Winter Games in Asia.
"We believe this is an important moment for us, for our country, for Asia and for the Olympic Movement."
Minister Choung said, "Durban and South Korea enjoy a very special sporting relationship. Our affinity with this wonderful city began more than three decades ago when boxer Soo Hwan Hong won the WBA World Bantamweight title at Durban's West Ridge Tennis Stadium in 1974.
"Then, in 2010, South Korea advanced to the second round of the FIFA World Cup for the first time on foreign soil after they played in Durban's World Cup Stadium. We believe Durban is a lucky city for South Korea.
"As a member of Korea's Government, I can also tell you that PyeongChang 2018’s bid is a national priority. The Government is committed to developing winter sports in Korea and that’s why we launched the new 'Drive the Dream' programme – our promise to invest 500 million US Dollars from 2012 to 2017 to develop Korean winter sports athletes.
"This is PyeongChang's third bid for the Winter Games and as you know we believe in the phrase ‘third time lucky’. Here in Durban, our lucky city, we certainly hope that is proved correct."
Superstar figure skater Kim was thrilled at this first visit to the country and added, "This is my first time in South Africa. But I have good memories about this amazing nation.
"In June of last year, South Africa was full of excitement with the FIFA World Cup. I was training in Toronto. But I had to pause my practice session to watch the Korea games with all my figure skating friends and family, including the match against Nigeria which happened here in Durban.
"Here again in South Africa, I now wish to see a dream come true – PyeongChang's dream. I wish to see PyeongChang win the right to host the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and help connect winter sports with a young, dynamic and growing population in new parts of the world.
"With the Host City decision for the 2018 Winter Games so soon, I hope that PyeongChang’s wish to host the Olympic Winter Games may be realized in Durban, South Africa, the land of dreams."
Cho “About 48 hours remain for us and we will do our best to get our messages across clearly to the IOC members.”
“After the last two bids we listened and learned from the IOC members to modify the bid.”
Cho reiterated that the message has been the same since the very beginning all the way through to the final presentation.
One man that has been involved at a very high level on all three of the bids, the former governor of Gangwon Province, Jin-Sun Kim, surely is feeling the tension.
Kim said, “During our first two attempts we received a lot of support from the media and I would like to thank you now for that. Though we lost the first two bids we have laid two good foundations through the first bids, so I believe this third campaign is the best one ever.
“We have kept up our promises with the IOC, we have made much progress and I want to emphasize that the government has given us complete support and we are all working together to achieve a common dream.”
All three bid cities:Annecy, Munich and PyeongChang will know their fate in 24 hours as the IOC votes in Durban for the 2018 winter Games city.
Keywords · PyeongChang 2018 · Yu-Na Kim · Yang Ho Cho · Jin-Sun Kim · Byoung-Gug Choung · Moon-Soon Choi · Yong Sung Park · Seok Yong Yoon ·
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Laura Walden ()
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