Ulsan in South Korea is planning to build an international Canoe Slalom centre and become the new home of the Asian Canoe Confederation (ACC).
The International Canoe Federation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ACC, Korean Canoe Federation, Ulsan Metropolitan City and Ulsan Metropolitan City Sports Council to support the city’s ambitions.
The agreement aims to strengthen the international status and development of Canoe Slalom in South Korea.
ICF President Thomas Konietzko, ACC Secretary General Jake Eunsuk Kim, Korea Canoe Federation President Hyunshik Cho and Ulsan Metropolitan City Mayor Dugyeom Kim were present for the signing ceremony.
The ICF agreed to relocate the ACC headquarters to Ulsan and to work with the federations to support hosting international and national competitions in the city. The three federations will also provide technical consultation and broaden Ulsan’s base of paddle sports.
Under the agreement, Ulsan Metropolitan City will look to establish an international Canoe Slalom centre in the city with a target completion date of 2028 and offer administrative and financial support to promote the sport.
Once built, the venue is expected to be used for recreational activities, for the education of disaster workers and as a high-performance centre.
Mr Konietzko said: “This is a very exciting project that will support Ulsan’s vision to change the image of the city.
“Ulsan has been known only as an industrial city, but it will host the International Garden Expo in 2028 and wants to stage international and national canoeing events in the future.
“It is a city with strong watersports traditions and some of the best Korean paddlers are located there.
“Not only will this venue become a high-performance centre for paddlers but it will also be used to educate disaster workers.”
Mr Kim added: “Ulsan has a historical background of using boats similar to canoes since prehistoric times.
“Ulsan city plans to integrate this cultural DNA into modern sports to create a new culture.”
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