Does anyone really ever remember the Olympic games mascots? OK, maybe the ones that have been awful and meme-worthy. That won’t be the case for the 2018 Winter Olympic games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, though.
On Monday, the Pyeongchang Olympic Committee unveiled two mascots for the games — a white tiger and an Asian black bear. The duo are named ‘Soohorang’ (the white tiger) and ‘Bandabi’ (the Asian black bear).
#Soohorang , #Bandabi #mascots for #Pyeongchang #Olympics2018 https://t.co/b4V3Cdppy5#Olympics pic.twitter.com/dROscsTndx
— businessline (@businessline) July 18, 2016
How did the names come about? Soohorang’s name is derived from the Korean words for ‘protection’ (Sooho) and ‘tiger’ (ho-rang-i), while Bandabi, the Paraolympics mascot is said to represent courage and strong will power.
The use of a tiger mascot shouldn’t be surprising, as the animal is seen in some circles as a sacred protector and was also featured in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
We’re just about 18 months away from the 2018 Winter Olympic games, as they are set to go off Feb. 9-25, 2018. So, get your stuffed Olympic mascots while you can!
[Reuters]
