Other Winning Korean Bids Could Impact PyeongChang 2014 Bid
23/04/2007 |
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Some International Olympic Committee (IOC) members see winning bids by Daegu and Incheon for the athletic championships and the 2014 Asian Games, respectively, having an impact on PyeongChang?s bid for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
AFP reports two International Olympic Committee (IOC) members said that while PyeongChang had lobbied very well, it?s almost unthinkable that PyeongChang could go one better than when they bid for the 2010 Games finishing a close second to Vancouver, and win the Winter Games.
According to AFP an Asian IOC member said under condition of anonymity, ?Incheon winning the right to host the Asian Games has killed PyeongChang?s bid. Because there is no way Asian IOC members will tolerate South Korea having both the Asian Games ? the biggest multi sports event in the world in terms of number of sports and athletes - and having the most prestigious sports event of that year (2014) the Winter Olympics?.
Another IOC member from Europe, also speaking anonymously, said it was highly unlikely that Koreans would record a hat-trick of victories in winning the right to host major competitions this year. He said, ?Korea winning the right to host the athletics world championships and the Asian Games in the same year has been very damaging to PyeongChang?s chances?.
However there is some disagreement as to PyeongChang?s chances of hosting the 2014 Games in light of the other winning bids. An IOC insider told AFP ?Korea have now added the Asian Games to the world championships. They won it ahead of Moscow (the athletics world championships) and such is their bidding prowess that one could say nothing could stop them. Apart from the 20 Asian IOC members there are enough of the other members out there who couldn?t care about the fact that they won the Asian Games bid which would put it back into perspective.
?Others believe that the Koreans have the bidding process down to a fine art through the use of their embassies around the world and their multi national companies?.
PyeongChang?s competitors for the 2014 Winter Games are Salzburg and Sochi. AFP reports that Salzburg officials were unavailable for comment, believed to be on their way to the SportAccord convention in Beijing, but Sochi 2014 bid leader Dimitry Chernyshenko reportedly played down the IOC comments. He said, ?as the Chief Executive of the bid I cannot comment on the rumours circulating. We have two good competitors and PyeongChang ran a good campaign last time. We?re focussing on our bid and the final three months. The vote is determined by the IOC members?.
Meanwhile Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee and other business leaders are in Beijing to support PyeongChang?s bid. Park Yong-sung, chairman of Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction will participate in the SportAccord convention this week in his capacity as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) while Chung Mong-joon, vice chairman of FIFA, will be there representing football?s governing body.
According to the Korea Times the three Korean conglomerate heads are looking for support from their friends and acquaintances in the international sport circle for Korea?s bid.
(Source: Gamesbids.com)
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