The assignment of the 2029 Asian Winter Games to Saudi Arabia, where snow is very rare, was not well received. The International Olympic Committee said it was not consulted on the decision. A surprising step was taken on Tuesday by the Asian Olympic Council Congress in Cambodia.
“It’s really scary. Apparently we haven’t learned our lesson at all,” legendary German skier Markus Wasmeier told SID.
“It’s crazy that this can still be considered sustainable. What’s going on is really bizarre,” said the two-time Lillehammer 1994 Olympic champion.
The Games will be held at the Gulf’s first outdoor ski resort, called Trojena, which the country plans to complete by 2026. The complex will be part of the $ 500 billion futuristic city of Neom.
The ski area at an altitude of approximately 2,500 meters above sea level will include an artificial freshwater lake and a nature reserve. Temperatures sometimes drop to zero in the area, but otherwise there is practically no precipitation.
After the reforms, the IOC is promoting the sustainability of the Games with the aim of reducing organization costs and limiting its scope to attract more interested people to the organization. Encourages the use of existing infrastructure and allows some competitions to be held outside the main venue. For example, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will be spread across multiple centers.
“The IOC has not been consulted on the awarding of the Asian Winter Games, nor has it been involved in the decision-making process,” said a spokesperson for the committee.
General Secretary of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation Michel Vion called the decision surprising.
The French Ski Federation spoke very critically today in a joint statement with the mayors of the French mountain resorts. According to them, this decision is contrary to what is desirable for the planet.
“We are surprised that this event will be held in a place with little rainfall and water, where there are no ski resorts or slopes,” they said.
Until now, the Asian Winter Games have always been held in countries where snow is not a rare phenomenon. Sapporo first hosted them in 1986, where five years ago it was also the last eighth edition. Meanwhile, China, Korea and Kazakhstan hosted the event.
Saudi Arabia, often criticized for human rights violations, uses sport to improve its image. It will also host the Asian Summer Games in 2034 and wants to bid for the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Egypt and Greece.
