Incheon, Korea: On the occasion of the one-year countdown ceremony to the 4th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Incheon Asian Games Organising Committee President Kim Young-soo talks about what is in store in 2013 and in 2014 for the 17th Asian Games. The one-year countdown ceremony was held on Friday, June 29.

What is the significance of D-365?

The 2013 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) one-year countdown ceremony means that the event is just one year away. Therefore, D-365 is to prepare for the Games and to inform everyone that the competition is not far away and that we should be ready for it.

Today we have witnessed a successful performance with cheerleading acrobatics and martial arts. This has led to such a colourful celebration,  especially with the medal presenters contest awards ceremony getting underway. We decided that nationality does not limit the selection of Asian foreign volunteers, so we finally chose 33 girls from a total of 168 people who registered and received training.

Among them, three people come from Indonesia, China, Uzbekistan. This matches our slogan “Diversity Shines Here”, and I’m very happy to see this idea is implemented in our events.

What activities will the successful assistants be performing at the Games?

The ushers for the victory ceremonies will be involved in all aspects of the awards. They will be welcome to apply again for the 2014 Asian Games. Their roles are to promote IAGOC and the Incheon Asian Games, as well as pre-event promotion. They are more like an ambassador role.

What is the national interest in and support for the 2013 AIMAG and the 2014 Asian Games?

We will have an Asian Games twice, the Asian Games 2014 and AIMAG 2013. Although many people now are focusing on the London Olympics, soon after I believe the focus will shift to those two competitions. After the Olympic Games in London, in order to promote our competitions we will start our promotion work aggressively with many parties, especially with the help of the media.

The recent rise of Asia, especially the two giants China and India, has put 4 billion Asian people in the forefront of spot and the economy. The Asian Games participants and tourists will come from China and can be a big help for the local and national economy. In addition, the awareness and profile of Incheon will go up significantly.

Just a year from now, in June 2013, the AIMAG will attract approximately 2,400 athletes and officials. Including media and technical officials, the total number of AIMAG participants will be about 4,500 people. The Asian Games in September 2014 will not only attract 24,000 athletes, officials, media and foreign guests, I’m sure it will attract many tourists.