Anchor: As the city of Incheon prepares to host the 2014 Asian Games, it’s continuing efforts to help athletes from countries with less resources have a shot at winning a medal at an international sports event.
Our Bae Joo-yon has the story.
 
Report: Incheon has been providing funds to help athletes from 30 Asian countries compete at the international level for nearly seven years. 
 
Through its Vision 2014 program, the city has donated around 18-point-six million dollars of its 20 million dollar pledge through next year to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The money has gone to 653 athletes overseas and more than 100 athletes are set to receive the same help.
 
It was Incheon city's promise before hosting the 2014 Asian Games. 
 
The city and the Olympic Council of Asia are also jointly carrying out various projects to provide the 30 countries with off-season training locations and training equipment. They will also send coaches to work with athletes.
 
Proper footwear is crucial, and so far Incheon has delivered almost two-thousand pairs of soccer shoes to ten countries. The shoes were made at a factory in Dandong, China by roughly 20 North Koreans, who were trained by a master South Korean artisan.
 
Since the program began in 2007, 88 athletes from eight of the 30 countries receiving help won 29 gold, 21 silver and 38 bronze medals in 14 competitions, including the Southeast Asian Games and the South Asian Games.
 
The program also laid the foundation for the establishment of cricket in South Korea. A cricket association has been set up and South Korea will compete in cricket events for the first time in next year’s Asian Games.
  
Incheon plans to discuss with the Olympic Council of Asia during a meeting in November ways to continuously implement the Vision 2014 program even after the Asian Games are over.
 
Bae Joo-yon, KBS World Radio News.