Ban Ki Moon attends world rowing champs Opening Ceremony

The ceremony welcomed competitors from 75 nations to the world rowing championships. This is a record attendance with the previous record being 68 nations (in Bled, Slovenia at the 2011 championships). Entries include six countries that will be competing at the world rowing championships for the first time - Qatar, Namibia, Libya, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Vanuatu.

The Opening Ceremony of the 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju, Korea has taken place and was honoured with the presence of the United Nations Secretary-General Mr Ban Ki Moon.

Ban Ki Moon, who grew up in Chungju and attended both primary and secondary schools there, has been United Nations Secretary- General since 2007. Many of Mr Ban's extended family live in Chungju and he is regarded as a local icon.

FISA president Denis Oswald officially opened the championships at approximately 20:00 (KST).

The Opening Ceremony had several high ranking officials in attendance including Mr Yoo Jeong Bok, Korean Minister of Security and Public Administration, Mr Wilfried Lemke, Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Sport for Development and Peace, Mr Lee Si Jong, Governor of Province of Chungchungbuk-do and Mr Lee Jong Bae, Mayor of Chungju city.

The ceremony welcomed competitors from 75 nations to the world rowing championships. This is a record attendance with the previous record being 68 nations (in Bled, Slovenia at the 2011 championships). Entries include six countries that will be competing at the world rowing championships for the first time - Qatar, Namibia, Libya, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Vanuatu.

The Opening Ceremony included performances by two leading Korean comedians, Jung Chan Woo and Kim Tae Kyun from 'Culttwo'. Both comedians participated in a recent Korean reality television show which saw them learn to row and race.

Participants in the United Nations Youth Leadership Programme, currently in Gwangju for a leadership course, came on Saturday to Chungju to learn about rowing and rowing's approach to the environment as well as attend the Opening Ceremony.

This is the second time that the world rowing championships has been hosted in Asia and that, along with the record number of nations attending, has translated into increased demand for global television coverage, including MBC in Korea and many leading stations in Europe, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and China.

The Tangeum International Rowing Regatta venue in Chungju is one of the top regatta venues in the world and the world rowing championships will be presented under the slogan, 'Clean Water for Life' which aligns perfectly with World Rowing's Clean Water partnership with WWF (the World Wide Fund for Nature).

The 2013 World Rowing Championships will start on 25 August and run until 1 September 2013 at the Tangeum International Rowing Regatta venue with 27 boat classes being contested.