Efforts To Attract Foreign Athletes To PG May Soon Score

Sunday, February 25, 2007 07:10 AM

For the past year, Events Prince George has been 'working the field' to market Prince George as a place to train in the run up to the 2010 Vancouver-Whistler Olympics.

Spokesperson Gerry Offet says, "We've had ongoing negotiations that started in Torino (the 2006 Winter Games) and continued at some international sporting events over the course of last spring and, most recently, at the Asian Winter Games."

"We’re very close to working out some contractual arrangements certainly with two - possibly as many as four - foreign sports associations who have the ability to contract on behalf of their sports," Offet says.

Events Prince George is hopeful two 'Train in PG' deals may be done by as early as the end of next month. "The target that we’ve set is the end of March," says Offet, "We’re going to the world curling competition in Edmonton at the end of March and continue some discussions with two countries there and hopefully sign memorandums of understanding."

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Posted on Sunday, February 25, 2007 07:10 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: YamaDooPolCat on February 25 2007 7:22 AM

Is the city paying foreign sports associations to bring their people to PG? How much is it going to cost?

Posted by: Gofaster on February 25 2007 8:00 AM

This is right up there with the inland container fiasco...
don't count on it until it happens...

Posted by: lunarguy on February 25 2007 9:10 AM

Yama has a real valid question as the few sports things like this that have happened we have had to pay for a portion of it so they could come here, this is even after the courting phase they are doing now. So what ever investment to get them here will take even longer to actually break even and then on top of that they are using yours and mine tax dollars to do all this courtship.

Posted by: Runner46 on February 25 2007 9:28 AM

Question???

We do have choices as a City. Should we go back to the old way of doing things and thus get the same results?

Cut wood and dig coal!!

Posted by: Gofaster on February 25 2007 11:03 AM

Who knows runner...I see a lot of justifcating of the last trip to China here.
It would be wonderful to see this happen.
It would be a boon to our city in a small way I suppose.
I just have this feeling that people think we are going to have a major influx of athletes and I don't see that happening for some reason....but in the long run... I hope I am wrong!

Posted by: realitycheck on February 25 2007 2:32 PM

Foreign teams that train here pay all their own expenses. Having some experience at U of Calgary I can tell you they bring lots of cash with them.
It's not just athletes, it's support staff, coaches and more.
Unlike Canada (up until recently) most other countries pour A TON of cash into their athletes. Especially places like China, Japan, Korea & Australia.

Posted by: Runner46 on February 25 2007 9:10 PM

Does anyone remember Vancouver in the fifties?

How about Kelowna in the seventies??

Posted by: lmorg on February 26 2007 9:53 AM

I don't see how PG can compete or offer anything training wise to the national teams of other countries when there is an abundance of facilities scattered about the okanagan, lower mainland and even vancouver island ( mt. washington). Location with the closest proximity to the games venues will be the key here. And since when should we have to pay a portion of any team's expenses just to have them come here?? Come to think of it, china may feel at home here in PG training....has anyone been to china lately? If you think PG is polluted, check out some of the larger chinese cities!