The 2018 Olympics host invites youths from around world to promote winter sports

More than 100 youths from around the world arrived in Korea Wednesday to participate in the Dream Program in PyeongChang, Gangwon Province.

The annual program is designed to introduce winter sports to young people from countries where such sports are not available. This year, 143 youngsters from more than 30 countries have been invited to benefit from the program.

The participating counties include eight African countries, such as Nigeria, Kenya, Togo and Uganda, 14 countries from Asia and six countries from South America, according to the organizer.

The Dream Program is part of PyeongChang’s effort to make the city a winter sports Mecca, according to Jin Dae-il, director of the International Event Division of Gangwon Province.

“We believe the Dream Program played a pivotal role in bringing the Winter Olympics here for the first time,” Jin said.

The program was established in 2004 to promote PyeongChang’s bid to host the Winter Olympics. PyeongChang believed that the program was in line with the IOC’s Olympics legacy, which states, “All sports should be available to everyone in all countries.”

Although PyeongChang failed twice in its bids for the 2010 and 2014 Games, the “dream” continued, inviting more than 800 youngsters from around the world up through last year.

Despite having finally won the right to host Winter Olympics, PyeongChang is planning to continue its program until the 2018 Winter Games.

From Feb. 8-19, the 9th annual Dream Program is taking place at some of PyeongChang’s venues for the 2018 Winter Games.

During the 12-day intensive program, the participants will have their first chance to learn alpine skiing, cross country skiing and snowboarding at the Alpensia Resort. Also speed, figure and short track speed skating training will be taught at the Gangneung Indoor Ice Rink.

For some participants, the Dream Program is also a stepping stone to achieving their dream of becoming an Olympic athlete. So far, the program has produced 12 Olympians from eight countries.

This year, for the first time, the organizer has added intensive courses for young professional athletes, providing private training with former Korean Olympians.

“We want to make this program a stepping stone to bringing more that 100 countries to the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang,” Jin said.

By Oh Kyu-wook
(596story@heraldcorp.com)