South Korea to host 2012 World Wheelchair Curling Championships

The World Curling Federation (WCF) has announced that Chuncheon City, in South Korea will host the 2012 World Wheelchair Curling Championship. The event will be held in the Uiam Ice Rink, Chuncheon City, Gangwon Province between 18-25 February 2012.

“The World Curling Federation is delighted to confirm that the 2012 Championship will be staged in Korea. It will be the first time in the history of the event that it will be held in Asia. The awarding of this event to Chuncheon City is an endorsement of the rapid development and success of wheelchair curling in Korea. The World Curling Federation looks forward to working with the Korean Wheelchair Curling Association, Korean Curling Federation and local partners on this event,” said World Curling Federation President Kate Caithness.

“We are very pleased to have won the bid to host the World Wheelchair Curling Championship 2012,” said Korean Wheelchair Curling Association President Jooyoung Park, “this championship will be to the honour and pride of wheelchair curlers in Asia. I look forward to welcoming the curlers of the world to Korea in 2012!”

The announcement comes as the 2011 World Wheelchair Curling Championship gets underway in Prague in the Czech Republic. Ten of the world’s top wheelchair curling teams are currently competing in the event being staged in the Curling Hall Roztyly.

The top seven placed teams playing in the 2011 event plus hosts Korea will qualify automatically for the 2012 Championship in Chuncheon City. The remaining two places will go to the teams finishing first and second at the World Wheelchair Curling Qualification event which will take place for the second year in a row at the Kisakallio Institute in Lohja, Finland from 29 October to 5 November 2011.

The 2012 World Wheelchair Curling Championship will be the third World Curling Federation world championship event to be staged in Korea after the Mount Titlis World Women’s Curling Championship 2009 in Gangneung and the World Junior Curling Championships in 2006 in Jeonju.