Excitement building up ahead of world championships

DAEGU, Aug. 24 (Yonhap) -- With the start of the World Championships in Athletics just three days away, excitement has been building in the host city of Daegu. Organizers this week have planned a series of festivities and cultural events across the city, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, ahead of the nine-day event. Daegu is a first-time host of the signature competition of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). According to organizers, 95 percent of all tickets have been sold through Monday. Some 1,900 athletes, officials, journalists and IAAF officials have arrived in Daegu, with hundreds more to follow Wednesday. In terms of athletes, Daegu will host 1,945 from 202 nations, both all-time high marks for the top IAAF event. Organizers have set up interactive halls near Daegu Stadium and downtown Daegu to promote the championships, and they've drawn more than 800 visitors per day. The Daegu Performance Arts Festival kicked off Wednesday, and street and stage performances plus art exhibitions will be held across the city until Sept. 3. Separately, the Street Arts Festival will begin Sunday featuring classical concerts and non-verbal performances. In addition, a media art exhibition began Wednesday to commemorate the world championships. During the championships, about 10,000 local residents will crowd the marathon course in downtown Daegu for street cheering, organizers said. "We're still getting calls asking about group cheering on streets, and the interest has gotten quite high," said Kim Sun-dae, an official at Daegu City Hall. "We want to make sure the championships will be one big party for residents, athletes and tourists."