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192819
Mon, 07/04/2011 - 16:11
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https://oananews.org//node/192819
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Lee says '2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics' to promote winter sports in Asia
DURBAN, South Africa, July 4 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak said Monday that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should award the 2018 Winter Olympics to PyeongChang, stressing that it will serve as a boon for promoting winter sports not only in South Korea, but also throughout Asia.
In an interview with foreign news media, Lee also said PyeongChang, in its third attempt to make South Korea only the second-ever Asian nation to host the Winter Olympics after Japan, has made enough preparations over the past decade and that a "fair assessment" would be to award the games to the alpine city, officials said.
"Winter sports have not been spread widely in South Korea and Asia. I have a sense of duty to promote winter sports in this region," Lee said in the interview with five foreign media firms, including The Associated Press, according to presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha.
Lee said PyeongChang's hosting of the games would make South Korea a "mecca" for winter sports.
Promoting winter sports in Asia has been the No. 1 selling point for PyeongChang, which has been making its third consecutive attempt to host the Winter Games. The snow-prone town, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, narrowly lost to Canada's Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics and then to Russia's Sochi for the 2014 Games.
Japan is the only Asian nation so far to have hosted the Winter Games, with Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.
PyeongChang is now running against Munich of Germany and Annecy of France.
Lee flew halfway around the world to this South African port city of Durban on Saturday to make final pitches for PyeongChang's bid. The IOC is scheduled to pick the host city of the 2018 Olympics at a meeting on Wednesday.
Lee will deliver a speech in English during Wednesday's final presentation at the IOC assembly.
Widespread views are that it will be a two-way race between PyeongChang and Munich. Foreign news reports have said that PyeongChang is leading Munich in a close race. But South Korean officials have declined to discuss PyeongChang's chances, only saying they will do their best until the last moment.
"We have done a lot of preparations for PyeongChang, and we are making efforts to fulfill the IOC's demands sufficiently," Lee said during the interview. "If a fair assessment is made, I anticipate that PyeongChang will be selected."
In recent years, South Korea has emerged as a winter sports powerhouse in Asia and home to world figure skating star Kim Yu-na. The country finished fifth in the gold medal tally at last year's Vancouver Olympics with six golds and came in third with 13 golds in this year's Asian Games, after Kazakhstan and Japan.
Lee emphasized PyeongChang's efforts to promote winter sports in Asia, raising its "Dream Program" as an example. The program calls for inviting children from Asian nations, where winter sports are difficult to experience, to PyeongChang and training them.
A dozen participants in the program competed in last year's Vancouver Olympics.
"This is the materialization of the Olympic spirit," Lee said.
On North Korea, Lee said South Korea's hosting of big sports events, such as the 1988 Summer Olympics, have contributed to promoting peace on the divided peninsula, and PyeongChang's hosting of the 2018 Games would be no exception.
Later Monday, Lee planned to attend the final dress rehearsal for PyeongChang's presentation.
In an interview with foreign news media, Lee also said PyeongChang, in its third attempt to make South Korea only the second-ever Asian nation to host the Winter Olympics after Japan, has made enough preparations over the past decade and that a "fair assessment" would be to award the games to the alpine city, officials said.
"Winter sports have not been spread widely in South Korea and Asia. I have a sense of duty to promote winter sports in this region," Lee said in the interview with five foreign media firms, including The Associated Press, according to presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha.
Lee said PyeongChang's hosting of the games would make South Korea a "mecca" for winter sports.
Promoting winter sports in Asia has been the No. 1 selling point for PyeongChang, which has been making its third consecutive attempt to host the Winter Games. The snow-prone town, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, narrowly lost to Canada's Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics and then to Russia's Sochi for the 2014 Games.
Japan is the only Asian nation so far to have hosted the Winter Games, with Sapporo in 1972 and Nagano in 1998.
PyeongChang is now running against Munich of Germany and Annecy of France.
Lee flew halfway around the world to this South African port city of Durban on Saturday to make final pitches for PyeongChang's bid. The IOC is scheduled to pick the host city of the 2018 Olympics at a meeting on Wednesday.
Lee will deliver a speech in English during Wednesday's final presentation at the IOC assembly.
Widespread views are that it will be a two-way race between PyeongChang and Munich. Foreign news reports have said that PyeongChang is leading Munich in a close race. But South Korean officials have declined to discuss PyeongChang's chances, only saying they will do their best until the last moment.
"We have done a lot of preparations for PyeongChang, and we are making efforts to fulfill the IOC's demands sufficiently," Lee said during the interview. "If a fair assessment is made, I anticipate that PyeongChang will be selected."
In recent years, South Korea has emerged as a winter sports powerhouse in Asia and home to world figure skating star Kim Yu-na. The country finished fifth in the gold medal tally at last year's Vancouver Olympics with six golds and came in third with 13 golds in this year's Asian Games, after Kazakhstan and Japan.
Lee emphasized PyeongChang's efforts to promote winter sports in Asia, raising its "Dream Program" as an example. The program calls for inviting children from Asian nations, where winter sports are difficult to experience, to PyeongChang and training them.
A dozen participants in the program competed in last year's Vancouver Olympics.
"This is the materialization of the Olympic spirit," Lee said.
On North Korea, Lee said South Korea's hosting of big sports events, such as the 1988 Summer Olympics, have contributed to promoting peace on the divided peninsula, and PyeongChang's hosting of the 2018 Games would be no exception.
Later Monday, Lee planned to attend the final dress rehearsal for PyeongChang's presentation.
