'Will Run Like Commissioner Yoo Seung Min'''Canadian Naturalized Paralimpian'Won Yu-min Challenges IPC Athletes'
Aug 27, 2024
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Won Yoo-min launched his first official election campaign on the 26th (Korea time) at the Paris 2024 Paris Paralympic Games athletes' village in Paris, France.
Won Yoo-min, whom I met at the athletes' village, said, "Canadian and Korean nationalities have experienced both the Summer Paralympics and the Winter Paralympics"If I become an athlete, I want to realize what I felt in my career." expressed his aspirations.
The new IPC Athletes Commission, which was established during the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, sets the direction of sports policies for athletes with disabilities and speaks out on behalf of athletes. It has the same status as an IPC member. Won Yoo-min, who decided to challenge the athletes' committee at the recommendation of the Korea Sports Association for the Disabled, is aiming to become the second Korean athlete to win the election of the IPC athletes' committee for a four-year term after Hong Seok-man (currently chairman of the Korea Anti-Doping Committee).
Won Yoo-min "I wanted to play to increase the rights and interests of my colleagues. I will appeal to the players to vote to play hard while delivering my experience."
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Won Yu-min said, "After I started playing wheelchair basketball, I was able to actively communicate with people around me."The exercise led me out of the world."
He went to the Department of Psychology at Illinois State University in the U.S. as a disabled player in Canada and participated in the 2016 Rio Paralympics as a member of Canada's wheelchair basketball national team. After that, I decided to go to Korea in 2017. It was to challenge the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics in his home country with the national flag. Won Yoo-min, who had a different heart for his country by using his Korean name Won Yu-min in Canada and not forgetting Korean, recovered his Korean nationality and turned into a Nordic ski player and devoted himself to training. As a result, he failed to step on the stage in Pyeongchang. To participate in the Paralympics by changing nationality, three years have passed since the international competition, or permission from the National Paralympic Committee of the previous nationality is required, but the Canadian Paralympic Committee has not allowed it. Won Yoo-min said, `Although I couldn't participate in the PyeongChang Paralympics, I don't regret my decision to naturalize in Korea.' `Because Korea has given me more opportunities and dreams.' Won Yu-min competed in Nordic skiing at the 2022 Beijing Paralympics and achieved his dream of competing on the Paralympic stage as a Korean athlete.
In Paris, he will challenge for the IPC athletes' committee. Won Yoo-min said, `If I had remained in Canada, I would not have been able to even challenge myself as an IPC athlete.' `I will do my best to be elected even to pay off my debt to Korea" he said.
Won Yoo-min needs to be in the top six out of 25 candidates to achieve his dream of becoming an athlete. He said, `I know how Yoo Seung Min was elected during the Rio Olympics.' `I will travel around the athletes' village nonstop from morning until late at night to appeal for votes."
IPC athletes' candidates can campaign until September 5, and promotional activities cannot be helped by others. There is also a set time and place. Won Yoo-min, who has been preparing 2,000 promotional business cards in Korea, entered the athletes' village again as soon as he finished the interview and joined hands with the players to actively campaign. The results of the vote will be released at the closing ceremony on September 8.
Paris = Joint Compromise Foundation
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