Led by Kim Bum-il, Mayor, Daegu Metropolitan city (extreme right) Koreans celebrate after Daegu is announced as the host to the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 2011 (© Getty Images)
Folllowing this afternoon's announcement that the IAAF Council had decided that Daegu Korea, will be the hosts of the 13th edition of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, 2011, Kim Bum-Il, the Mayor of Daegu who was among the leaders of the bid, said:
"I want to express my deepest appreciation to the IAAF for granting this wonderful opportunity, the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, to Daegu, Korea. We will do our best. We will commit our energy and efforts to make the best ever championships of the IAAF."
Kim, who was the Marketing Director for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, added, "We will do out best to create a new athletics culture in the emerging countries. We will make an example and will try our best to spread it out not only in our region, but to the rest of the world."
Kim said that that creating that legacy will be the biggest challenge facing his city, but that he, his city and his country are up to the task.
"Organizationally we have the expertise, and we have the experience. "But creating the culture and promoting athletics in the emerging countries is not an an easy job. But we will do so together with the support of our national government and our people."
IAAF