President Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday called for greater national attention to basic sports events, including track and field, in preparation for the 2011 Daegu World Athletics Championship.

He made the remark while hosting a luncheon at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae for Korean athletes who competed in the Beijing Olympics.

He noted that the Korean public would be disappointed if Korean athletes failed to advance to the finals in the 2011 Daegu World Athletics Championship.

The president also called for strategies for the 2012 London Olympic Games, adding that his administration will try to create a better environment for Korean athletes.

Lee Yeon-taek, head of the Korea Sports Council, thanked the president and the public for their strong support and cheering for Korean athletes at the Beijing Olympics.

Weightlifter Jang Mi-ran, who set a world record in the women's plus-75-kilogram competition of the Beijing Olympics, called for more government support for Korean athletes' overseas training programs.