According to the Gimcheon City government on Monday, the city hosted 26 sports competitions, including International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournaments and the Football Association Cup championship. It also attracted 72 national teams for training, including the Canadian synchronized swimming national team for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in August.

Some 140,000 people, including athletes, their families, and spectators, visited Gimcheon, and generated W5.2 billion of production inducement effect and W2.8 billion of value-added inducement effect.

A bird's-eye view of the sports complex in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province

This was thanks to a well-equipped sports infrastructure and active promotion by the city government which formed a sports marketing team in charge of hosting national and international sports competitions and training camps in January. The team actively lobbied the Korea Amateur Sports Association and other sports organizations.

In 2006 the city built a 330,000-sq. m sports complex in Samrak-dong that has a track and field stadium, indoor swimming pool and tennis courts.

"We set this year as the first year of our sports marketing project, and we will try our best to become the best sports city in Korea with a better system and strategy," said an official at the Gimcheon City government.

(englishnews@chosun.com )