Do you ever get that feeling that someone is against you? That anything you do will somehow turn around and smack you on the back of the head?

As I sit here at god-knows-what time in the morning, on a nice wooden bench in the departure lounge of Incheon International Airport, I get the strong impression that someone, somewhere wants to wipe that all too cheesy grin off my face.

As for the reasoning behind my unfortunate circumstance? That would stem from the fact that the hotel I wish to be staying in, and most likely sleeping in at this very moment, is the other side of the airport customs gate, putting it mere metres away from my current, slightly uncomfortable position, but a hefty boarding pass out of reach - as I have been reminded on countless occasions by the majority of airport staff.

My week-long trip to South Korea, incredible as it has been, has been tainted by these all too common occurrences.

As I set out in pursuit of an International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission visit to the venue of the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Pyeongchang, held up briefly by a trip to the South Korean capital for a conference related to good governance in sport, I found myself wondering what it is I must have done to find myself in such an unusually high number of "frustrating" situations.

As well as getting lost on the way to my hotel on my very first evening in Seoul, a situation that was saved by an incredibly friendly group of Koreans who took it upon themselves to escort me directly to my hotel lobby, I also found myself shut away in a bus terminal toilet as I hid from an overly enthusiastic taxi driver who was, very kindly, offering to drive me to the Alpensia Resort, venue of the IOC Coordination Commission meeting, after I had managed to take a bus which dropped me a depressing hour away from my intended target.

Now, these incidents could easily have been solved by careful planning and an average sense of direction, both of which I appear to have miserably misplaced. However, throughout my stay in Pyeongchang, I got the underlying feeling that the international identity of these next Winter Games had also somehow, like me, got lost.

There is no doubting the hard work and commitment that has gone into the preparations for Pyeongchang 2018 with the IOC Coordination Commission confident in these preparations following its recent visit ©Pyeongchang 2018



I don't speak here about the preparations that have gone into the organising of the Games, which in my personal opinion seem highly impressive and well planned.

Nor do I speak of the undoubted success I believe the Games will achieve come the start of play in 2018.

The one problem I think should, could, and probably will, be addressed is the distinct lack of know-how about the Pyeongchang 2018 Games from the international community as a whole.

As the sole representative for foreign media at the Coordination Commission visit, this issue may not be a fault of the Pyeongchang Organising Committee in itself. However, I do believe that it is time for Pyeongchang to really up their efforts on the global level and tell the world that they are here; that they are ready for the Games; and that everyone should now stand up and recognise who they are.

An example of this became apparent to me just a few weeks ago, while attending my weekly quiz at the local pub. A question was asked regarding the whereabouts of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games, a fairly simple question for anyone within the Olympic Movement.

However among my friends, all of who are very knowledgeable about sport, there was confusion and a complete mind-blank in identifying the answer.

The same can be said about the majority of friends and family who I explained my visit to South Korea to.

"Why are you going there?", "What an Earth do you need to go all the way over there for?" Two common responses to my informing these friends and relatives of my upcoming trip to the east Asian nation.

After visiting Pyeongchang and seeing the preparations that are underway in order to make these Games a success, it is a shame to know that such a wide range of people - including the limited number of friends I have aforementioned - are still unsure of the whereabouts of the next edition of this grand sporting event.

Now that Sochi is done and dusted its time for Pyeongchang to stretch its wings and show the world what it will bring to the Games in four years' time ©Getty Images



Visiting the sites of each venue I can see that a huge amount of hard work and effort has gone into the detailed planning of these facilities, with countless hours put in to ensure the readiness of the Games come four years' time.

It is due to this that I feel, and I'm sure many others do to, that it is now vital that Pyeongchang 2018 opens itself up to the world to give a real account of itself and ensure that the world knows that in four years' time, thousands of athletes will be making their way to this outstanding country to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Now that Sochi is done and dusted, and Pyeongchang has been passed the hosting mantle, this pursuit of global recognition should come much easier for the Organising Committee. However, measures still need to be taken and processes still put in place to ensure that everyone, from all corners of the world, know where Pyeongchang is, what is stands for in the sporting world and why it will provide a fun and invigorating Games when the spotlight turns to it in 2018.