Gyeonggi Ready for National Sports Festival
(August 22, 2011)
45-days until the 92nd National Sports Festival — Goyang Indoor Sports Stadium completed
Opening and closing ceremonies to be held at Ilsan Lake Park
Torch Relay to travel water routes and the DMZ
– From October 6 to 12, 2011, the 92nd National Sports Festival will be held in the main host city of Goyang and at twenty other cities and counties all over Gyeonggi Province in a total of 65 stadiums. 28,000 athletes will attend to compete in 45 categories. (G News Plus)The National Sports Festival, the cradle for Korean athletes, is now just forty-five days away.It has been twenty-two years since Gyeonggi Province last hosted these games. The provincial government is inspecting stadiums, reviewing transportation, and organizing lodging facilities to ensure the success of the event.This year’s slogan is: “To Gyeonggi Province with Dreams! Moving Forward Hand-in-Hand with the World!” The seven-day event will run from October 6th to 12th. Goyang City will be the center of the event, but the games will also be held in 20 cities and counties within Gyeonggi Province, encompassing 65 stadiums where athletes will compete in 45 categories including soccer and swimming. (Official categories 42 and 3 are under review)Participating athletes representing sixteen cities and districts, overseas Koreans, and five teams from different North Korean districts will attend the games. The total number of participants will surpass 28,000, setting a new record.To make this year’s games especially memorable, Gyeonggi Province decided to increase the celebratory events. With only a little over a month left, preparations are going full throttle.The opening and closing ceremonies will take place at Ilsan Lake Park, not at the main stadium. This has garnered considerable media attention. The torch will travel up a canal for the first time in the history of this sports festival.The 92nd National Sports Festival’s emblem and mascot embody harmony through positive competition and Gyeonggi Province’s dynamic image.The emblem reflects the essence of the National Sports Festival’s identity of harmony and unification. The image of the running character represents Gyeonggi Province moving into the future.The mascots, Kkumi and Sonni, are shaped like water droplets, which symbolizes hard work and perspiration. The colors light green, orange, and blue each represent youth, passion, and health.-14 cities and counties will complete their maintenance of 31 stadiums by mid September.The National Sports Festival will cost KRW 188 billion ( KRW 32.5 billion from government funds, KRW 34.2 billion from Gyeonggi Province funds and KRW 121 billion from city and county funds.) Its operation will cost KRW 18.3 billion including the opening and closing ceremonies; KRW 142 billion for the construction of new stadiums; and KRW 27 billion for the renovation of older facilities.Gyeonggi Province will have renovated 31 stadiums in 14 cities and counties by mid September.Among the four new stadiums, the Goyang Indoor Sports Stadium – which is equipped with swimming, gymnastics, and squash facilities – was completed last month. The Bucheon Ojeongleports Center for the fin swimming events was completed this past May. The Goyang Baseball Stadium and Yongin Motorboat Racing Park will be finished by the third week of August.The Uijeongbu Velodrome Stadium, which will be used for the cycling games, has completed its construction improvements and is expected to elicit the best performances from cyclers.The newly built Bucheon Ojeongleports Center and Goyang Indoor Sports Stadium will be open to nearby residents and serve as local sports facilities. 
– Park Ji-sung, Park Tae-hwan, and Jang Mi-ran have all participated in previous National Sports Festivals. The 92nd National Sports Festival website. (GNews Plus)
– 3,500 volunteers to be stationed all over the stadium to assist visitors
Gyeonggi Province has recruited 3,500 volunteers for dispatch to the stadiums and ceremonies to provide tourist information, assist in cultural events, handout water, care for lost children, and control traffic.
4,181 candidates applied for volunteer positions. Their applications were carefully reviewed so as to select the most appropriate volunteers. The lucky participants will receive basic training and field education, attend a launching ceremony in September, and will be placed on duty during the festival. There will be local volunteer centers open during the event.
– Overseas Korean Athletes and Gyeonggi Province’s “Fam Tour”
1,300 emigrant athletes from 18 different nations will participate in this year’s National Sports Festival. Many support programs have been prepared to address their needs.
A separate information kiosk will be set up at Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport to help these athletes pass through immigration. 700 cars have been rented to transport them between their accommodations, stadiums, and event locations.
Groups to cheer each country’s emigrants have been formed, and a welcome ceremony will be held to help them feel at home.
Athletes from overseas and foreign visitors will have opportunities to learn more about Gyeonggi Province’s tourist attractions, history, and culture. They can opt to go on a tourist course call the, “Fam Tour,” to get to know Korea better.
– Transportation and Places of Lodging are Ready to Greet Guests
This year’s festival is expected to bring in 120,000 spectators and athletes from the sixteen cities and provinces of Korea as well as from abroad.
The Gyeonggi Provincial Government will station guides at major congestion points such as Ilsan Lake Park and stadiums. The KINTEX complex will be used as a temporary parking lot.
Ilsan Lake Park is no stranger to extreme traffic congestion. Shuttle busses will operate from major traffic points and more buses will be placed on duty during the event. New routes will be set up to ease congestion.
Goyang, the main host city where the opening and closing ceremonies will take place, has established ample lodging facilities with the cooperation of nearby city, county, and local districts.-GNews Plus News | Lim Jeong-seon isim123@hanmail.net 
