Lee says thorough preparations made Daegu athletics championships success

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak thanked citizens in Daegu on Monday for the city's successful hosting of the World Championships in Athletics, saying the event taught the country that success depends on preparation.
"We were initially concerned that the Daegu athletics championships might not draw enough spectators, but it turned out to be a success as we made thorough preparations," Lee told a weekly meeting of senior secretaries, according to presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha.
"We have to keep this deep in mind that if we make thorough preparations, we can do it. I am grateful to citizens in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province."
There had been concerns about staging the championships because of athletics' lack of popularity in South Korea. But the total attendance at the Aug. 27-Sept. 4 competition surpassed figures from the previous two championships.
According to data from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), the 13th biennial competition attracted 411,111 fans to Daegu Stadium, nearly 91 percent capacity, through the eve of the event's closing.
The IAAF noted that Berlin in 2009 sold about 397,000 tickets and Osaka some 254,000 four years ago.