The huge sporting event is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of new visitors to Budapest and the rest of the country.Continue reading
One hundred days before the start of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Youhuu, the mascot of the event, was unveiled. At a press conference on Wednesday, Jon Ridgeon, CEO of the World Athletics (WA), unveiled the mascot of a racka sheep, modeled on the ancient Hungarian animal.
“The island of Csepel, home to the stadium, was once the island of sheep and Hungary the land of the racka. Youhuu is now reclaiming the park on the site of the former contaminated rust belt. Our mascot used to be lazy, but once he started playing sports, he became an everyday hero. Let us all be like him,” said Balázs Németh, CEO of Budapest 2023 Nonprofit Zrt., organizer of the World Athletics Championships.
The Racka is a breed of sheep known for its unusual spiral-shaped horns. The breed has been kept by Hungarians for many centuries and was once the most common variety in Hungary. Photo: Wikimedia
He added that Hungary could prove for the first time in Central Eastern Europe that it could organize such an event. He stressed that
currently 203 countries are expected to participate, but they are working to increase this number: the aim is to have 206 countries participating, which would make it the biggest ever World Championships.
He added that tickets have already been bought from 77 countries.
Ádám Schmidt, the government commissioner for the World Athletics Championships, stressed that the preparations for the event are at the finishing line, but the unique programs, launched in connection with the World Championships to encourage more Hungarians to take part in sports and lead a sporty lifestyle, will continue after the event.
At the press event, Ridgeon handed over to the Hungarian Organizing Committee the WA first class license that will allow the National Athletics Center to officially host the World Championships from August 19-27. The top WA official said that
one of the final visits to check the stadium’s readiness had taken place this week and that WA was very pleased with what they had seen.
“There is a strong and successful cooperation between us, Budapest, and Hungary, which is essential for a successful staging. The challenge for the next 100 days is to keep up the hard work, but we have great confidence in the organizing team that with the help of 2,500 volunteers they will be able to serve the needs of athletes, coaches, and some 1,400 press staff,” highlighted Ridgeon.
Featured photo via MTI/Koszticsák Szilárd
