Changwon Mayor Park Wan-su (second from left) and officials celebrate after the city was named the host of the 2018 World Shooting Championships at the ISSF’s assembly in London on Tuesday. (Changwon City)
The South Gyeongsang Province city of Changwon won the right to stage the 2018 World Shooting Championships at the International Shooting Sport Federation’s assembly in London on Tuesday.
Changwon won unanimous approval from the ISSF members at the meeting to win the right to host the 52nd World Shooting Championships, according to the sport’s governing body.
The city was bidding against Maribor to host the event, but the Slovenian city withdrew its application at the last minute, the ISSF said.
“We are very thankful to the ISSF family and to our Slovenian friends. We have been working hard, and we will do our best,” Changwon Mayor Park Wan-su said at the meeting.
During the city’s final presentation, Park highlighted Changwon’s compact venue and facilities, which are located a 20-minute drive from the city’s center.
Former Olympic shooting champion Lee Eun-chul said the city’s existing shooting range will be reconstructed to host six shotgun layouts with a 40 billion won ($35 million) investment for the championships.
“Changwon is a sports-loving city with a long tradition in shooting events,” Lee said.
“I think this is very good for the sport. Our sport is united, and we always go for the best solution. This is the best decision for our world championship,” ISSF president Olegario Vazquez Rana said.
The decision marks the first time the world’s biggest shooting event will be held in Asia since Seoul hosted the event in 1978.
The first world shooting championships was held in 1897 in Lyons, France, following the 1896 Olympics. Since 1953, the ISSF World Championships has been held every four years, two years after each Olympics.
The last event was held in Munich in 2010, and Spain is preparing to host the 2014 event in Granada.
The 2018 Championships will be held for 15 days in August and September, with more than 4,000 athletes and officials from 116 member countries expected to attend.
“I believe the 2018 World Shooting Championships will help Korea become a true leader in global sports,” Park said.
By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldm.com)
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
