In the 2012 London Olympics, 150,000 condoms a day were given out while in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics 100,000 condoms were picked up by the athletes.(image: Kobizmedia/Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Sep. 18 (Korea Bizwire) – Even before the beginning of the Incheon Asian Games, condoms made available free of charge by the organizing committee are fast running out every day.
According to the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee on September 17, as many as 5,000 condoms it supplies every day at the Asian Games Village are out of stock as soon as they are made available within the community center.
An organizing committee official said, “We plan to distribute a total of 100,000 condoms until October 3 with the sponsorship of the Korea Federation for HIV/AIDS Prevention and others.” This is more than 75,000 condoms a day in 2002 when the Busan Asian Games were held. Giving away condoms to athletes has become a tradition in international sporting games since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
In the 2012 London Olympics, 150,000 condoms a day were given out while in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics 100,000 condoms were picked up by the athletes. The major reason for the popularity of the rubber is the athletes and administrators consider it as a souvenir. Indeed, more than 5,000 condoms with the 2008 Beijing Olympic emblems were out on the market in eBay and other online bidding sites.
The organizing committee said this is a positive trend, given that the condoms can prevent AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases while at the same time promoting Korean-made condoms to the world.
By M.H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
