(Ft. Lee, New Jersey) - Daegu, fouth largest city in South Korea, will bid for the 2011 Athletics World Championship, the city government announced on Monday (May 30).

As it had been reported on Korea.net, the city's preparation committee will have its first meeting at Sejong Center for the Performing Art in Seoul on Wednesday, to start promotion of its bid for the world's biggest track and field event.

The Athletics World Championship is a biennial track and field competition of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF). According to the committee, about 3,000 athletes from 200 countries will compete in this year's event in Helsinki, while more than 4 billion people are expected to watch it on television.

The committee estimates that some 6,200 athletes and 50,000 tourists will visit the city during the period. The city also expects to compete with seven other cities, including Valencia, New Delhi and Brisbane in the bidding. The IAAF's council will make the selection in November 2006.

“The championship has been mostly held in Europe, so it will greatly help to foster sports in Asia if we host 2011's event,” the committee chairman Yoo Jong-ha told the Yonhap News Agency.

The championship started in 1983. Eight of past 10 events were held in Europe, while Tokyo and Edmonton, Canada, were the only non-European cities to have hosted the event in 1991 and in 2001, respectively.

Daegu was the host city of the Summer Universiade in 2003.

For further information visit www.korea.net or email Luis Maravi at luism@kntoamerica.com
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