Organizers of the IAAF World Championships Daegu 2011 have selected the name ‘Sarbi’ as the grand-prix winner of the naming contest for the tournament’s mascot.


The new mascot is a ‘sapsalgae,’ an indigenous canine breed that is friendly to men and traditionally believed to ward off bad luck and evil spirits. It is categorized as Korea’s Natural Monument No. 368.


A total of 1,725 entries have been submitted in the nationwide contest. Before the final decision, organizers went through public and internal surveys as well as strict screening and check for eligibility as an international trademark.  

   
The enthusiastic public participation showed a growing interest in the sports event to be held next year. The entries included a lot of names with notable quality, but most of them were ruled out as they proved to be ineligible as an international trademark.


The organizing committee of the 2011 Daegu IAAF World Championships plan to strengthen the promotion of the event, including a nationwide road show for Salbi, in a bid to raise its public recognition for a better interest in the competition.