GWANGJU - Stefan Bergh, the chairman of the FISU evaluation committee, described Gwangju`s efforts toward hosting the Universiade in two words - passion and dedication.
The chairman, who is here for the second time since last year, remembered his visit to the city last year when Gwangju lost the bid to achieve the hosting rights for the 2013 summer Universiade.
"The passion and friendship Mayor Park Kwang-tae and the citizens showed me (at the time) was something I have never experienced before," he said at the welcoming dinner on Tuesday.
Bergh said the city scene - people being deeply disappointed - after the FISU announced the hosting city for the 2013 games was hard for him to forget. But he said he is glad to see the city challenge for a bigger goal this year.
The chairman went on, expressing a positive impression that he got on revisiting the city this year. It was the first official remark from the chairman, who has been avoiding contact with the media and the public regarding the evaluation process in Gwangju for the 2015 Universiade.
"Gwangju has made up for the weaknesses that we pointed out and thus improved a lot compared to last year. It satisfied FISU`s basic requirements as well," said Bergh.
Bergh praised the various sports facilities that the evaluation committee visited, saying that their conditions are of the world`s highest level.
The committee chairman also gave credit to the heritage that the Universiade would leave in the city after the games for its creativity. The details regarding the heritage have only been revealed to the committee, said a city official.
Bergh said he felt the strong support that the Korean government is showing towards Gwangju when he and the committee members met with President Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Han Seung-soo at Cheong Wa Dae Monday.
"Being able to meet them amid such a nationally and diplomatically busy period in the country made us realize how much the Korean government back Gwangju`s challenge," he said.
The fact that Gwangju granted honorary citizenships to the committee members last year - embracing them as a part of the city - worked as another factor that moved them, according to Bergh.
Gwangju mayor Park Kwang-tae gave Luciano Cabral, who is the only member among the committee visiting the city for the first time, an honorary citizenship Tuesday as well.
The members of the FISU evaluation committee attended the recording for local television channel KBS 1TV`s "Open Concert" which was held at Chonnam National University after the dinner.
The concert was specially organized to wish for Gwangju to win the 2015 Universiade bid and to engrave the city`s image as one that is dedicated to culture.
About 10 singers and groups including No Brain, Shin Hyo-bum and Jang Yoon-jung performed their hit songs in front of an audience of more than 30,000. The episode will be aired on the channel on May 17 at 5:35 p.m.
The committee members wrapped up their evaluation schedule yesterday by visiting the remaining half of the sports facilities near Gwangju and are scheduled to leave the city today.
By Koh Young-aah
(youngaah@heraldm.com)
[출처 : 코리아헤럴드]
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