PRESS RELEASE

03 March 2007

Where Birmingham Leads……The World Follows

Officials from the South Korean city of Daegu joined thousands of spectators at the European Athletics Indoor Championships this weekend to witness Birmingham’s staging of the event at first-hand and see what lessons could be learnt as they themselves bid for the 2011 outdoor world championships.

Leader of Birmingham City Council, Mike Whitby, met with six MPs from the Republic of Korea, all members of the Daegu Bid Committee for the 2011 World Athletics Championships.

Councillor Whitby said: “Birmingham’s international reputation for staging world class sporting events is second to none, leading to us host more European and World championships over the past decade than any other UK city.

“The key to our success is our ability to combine world class sporting facilities and event management expertise with a modern and vibrant city backdrop, where public, private and voluntary sector organisations are all committed to delivering excellence.

“We also enjoy great support from local businesses, who play a key role in providing sponsorship, facilities and services to the championships, and an army of amazing volunteers drawn from the local community.

“It’s therefore of little wonder that our South Korean counterparts were so keen to visit Birmingham and learn from the best in the business as they seek to impress the IAAF (International Amateur Athletics Federation).”

Being staged at the NIA, the 2007 Championships, are already shaping up to be one of the most successful European indoors ever. Ticket sales have reached unprecedented levels, with both Saturday and Sunday selling out, while the event is being broadcast to a record 62 nations across Europe, Asia, America and the Middle East.

Daegu is South Korea’s fourth largest city, boasting a population of more than two million people. It is bidding against Moscow, Brisbane and Barcelona to host the 2011 athletics showpiece, the final major athletics event before competitors come back to Britain for the London 2012 Olympic Games.