~* mY rEmiNiScEncES *~

Followed by the Indonesian version of introduction to 2014 Incheon Asian Games, an overview of the introduction and preparations of the 17th Asian Games in Chinese language!

English Translation

Incheon, the port city of South Korea will be the next host the 2014 Asian Games this fall. The Games will be taking place from September 19 to October 4, 2014 and the slogan is “Diversity Shines Here”. This represents the spectrum of history, cultures, and religions of the many nations of Asia. The official mascots of the Games are three seals by the name of “Barame”, “Chumuro”, and “Vichuon”, meaning wind, dance, and light. JYJ, a famous K-pop group, was chosen as the honorary ambassador of the Games.

Hence, a number of “Goodwill Ambassadors” including celebrities and many top athletes hailing from various countries were appointed to spur and spread awareness of the Incheon Asian Games (IAG) while realizing its objectives.

One of the most successful Asian players in the Major League Baseball (MLB) from South Korea is Choo Shinsoo, and he has also been appointed as the 2014 Goodwill Ambassador. He is the professional baseball outfielder for the Texas Rangers and has gained many international fans since he joined the league. However, Choo, who clinched the gold medal in 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, was unable to participate in the 2014 IAG due to the some regular MLB season schedule conflicts.

Another notable Korean athlete is Park Tae-Hwan, the first Korean to win an Olympic medal in swimming. This superb swimmer hopes to do even better than his last performance and set a new world record. Park has high expectations of achieving great success, and hopes to win more golds for his country when swimming in the complex that was named after him. The Munhak Park Taehwan Aquatics Center will be one of the arenas used during the Incheon Asian Games, and Park plans to perform to his best ability.

JYJ is a world famous K-pop group formed by Kim Jaejoong, Park Yuchun, and Kim Junsu. This South Korea group sensation was appointed to be the official 2014 IAG ambassador group. The group is even responsible for the official song of the 2014 Incheon Asian Games titled “Only One”, which encapsulates the spirit and theme of the Games. This popular k-pop group had just filmed for the new promotional video on March 7th, and the crew is now gearing up for the latest video shoot!

Korea has chosen eligible ambassadors from its own country, but athletes from all countries must contribute in spreading awareness of the games for it to become successful. Sheikha Latifa and her brother Ahmed bin Juma Al Maktoum from the UAE have been selected as Goodwill Ambassadors for the 2014 Incheon Asian Games as well. These notable representatives from the Middle East are an equestrian silver medalist duo from the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games and bronze holder in the 2006 Doha Asian Games. Both are famous in the equestrian world for their jumping skills while on horseback. Representing elite athletes of both female and male genders, they are a great choice to spread news of the Games to people of all ages.

The city of Incheon, as well as the rest of South Korea stands to benefit from hosting the Games. Not only will it shed light onto the city that is hosting the Games, but it will also contribute to the awareness of the capital city of Seoul. As the host of the Games, Incheon will portray a future oriented city with a hub airport in Northeast Asia. The city also stands to upgrade its economy through investment and expansion of its transport and communications infrastructure. The increase in Incheon’s brand value is likely to further induce international investments in the Incheon Free Economic Zone. Beyond economic benefits to the city, the hosting of the Games also helps motivate and push for further development of the South Korean athletics system and even sports in the rest of Asia.

Preparation works are on going, with the construction of, among others, a sports town, an athlete village, various multiplexes, and top of the line sporting facilities. In fact, Korea is determined to deliver the “best ever” Asian Games of world class standards, while maintaining as an economical and effective multi-sporting event. By doing so, it hopes to also become an inspiration to other smaller countries and cities who also dream of hosting sporting events in the future. Let us look forward to the commencement of the 2014 Asian Games and witness the world’s top athletes compete to accomplish their dreams!

The official 2014 Incheon Asian Games Writer ‘IAG-Crew’ ㅣThoong Kit Yee , Tan Si Ying