Incheon was once the gateway through which western
civilization entered Korea 100 years ago when the Incheon port was opened. Now
it is the logistics hub for northeast Asia and the Asian gateway housing the
Incheon international airport. To further cement this international status The
17th Asian Games Incheon 2014 will be held in this beautiful port city.
The Incheon Asian Games are to take place from September 19
to October 4, 2014 with about 13,000 athletes and officials participating and
some 7,000 media representatives from all 45 member countries. Athletes will
compete in a total of 36 sporting games including 28 Olympic sports and 8
non-Olympic sports. Under the slogan of “Diversity Shines Here,” these games
will be about bringing real peace and harmony with the participation of North
Korea.
In particular, the most talked about aspect of the upcoming
event is balanced sports development across Asia and environmentally friendly
policies. The organizing committee and the city of Incheon have provided
substantial support to countries which have less sporting competitiveness and
offered an opportunity to train in Korea, with the dispatch of coaches, sports
facilities and equipment at an investment of 20 million dollars. Environmental
policies include: a landfill which has been converted into a golf course and
geothermal and photovoltaic energy which are to be used for air conditioning,
heating and indoor illumination. With this tremendous effort, the Incheon Asian
Games aims to pursue a low-carbon & eco-friendly event.
It is hoped, the games will be a true festival which 4.5
billion Asian people can enjoy together. The commemorative stamps featuring,
bowling, squash, rhythmic gymnastics, wrestling, cricket and the mascots of the
event will be issued. The spotted seal chosen as a mascot and designated Korea’s
natural monument no. 331, inhabit the waters of Incheon’s Baengnyeong Island,
in the northernmost location of the Republic of Korea. They are known as a
symbol of peace between North and South Korea since they travel freely between
the two Koreas.
