Lee vows greater support for disabled athletes By Yoo Cheong-mo

SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday pledged greater
government support for disabled athletes while hosting a luncheon for South
Korean Paralympic athletes who competed in Beijing earlier this month.
"I was very touched by your performance at the Beijing Paralympics. I'm
particularly proud of you all because you have accomplished a lot in spite of
adversity," Lee said in front of about 210 athletes and officials.
Lee gave special recognition of Park Gun-woo, a South Korean boccia player who
won two gold medals in Beijing.
"Your power of concentration was remarkable. Actually, I was ashamed to have
never heard of boccia until you won two gold medals at the Beijing Paralympics. I
think it's lucky to learn of a good sporting event," said the president.
Boccia is a sport designed for disabled athletes, particularly those with
cerebral palsy, and can be played by individuals, in pairs, or in teams of three.
The aim of the game is to throw leather balls -- colored red or blue -- as close
as possible to a white target ball, or jack.
The South Korean team finished 13th in the medal tally of the 13th Paralympics
held in Beijing on Sept. 6-17, winning 10 gold, eight silver and 13 bronze
medals.
Lee noted that Prime Minister Han Seung-soo attended the opening ceremony of the
Beijing Paralympics in recognition of the importance of the games.
"Please work harder to accomplish a far greater outcome at the next Paralympics.
The government will also show greater attention to Paralympic athletes," said
Lee.