Saudi Arabia decides to abandon 2029 Asian Winter Games
The Asian Winter Games
scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia in 2029 have been postponed, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Saudi Arabian Olympic Committee announced in a
joint statement on Saturday.
“The Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and
the Olympic Council of Asia have agreed on an updated framework for future
hosting of the Asian Winter Games, confirming the postponement of the 2029
edition to a later date to be announced in due course,” the statement said.
Under the revised plan, Saudi Arabia will host a
series of standalone winter sports events in the coming years. These
competitions aim to promote winter sports while allowing additional preparation
time to support broader regional participation in future Asian winter events.
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Council of Asia affirms 2029 Saudi Winter Games are 'on schedule'
The OCA had said in August that preparations
for the Games were on track, despite reports that South Korea and China were
being considered as potential replacement hosts.
In 2022, the OCA unanimously approved Saudi
Arabia’s bid to stage the Games at NEOM, the kingdom’s $500 billion futuristic
megacity, as part of its wider push to host major international sporting
events, including the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
However, progress on the planned ski resort
appeared to slow, and discussions emerged about delaying the Games by four
years. Media reports at the time suggested Saudi officials were considering
asking South Korea or China to host the 2029 edition instead.
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that
the OCA had approached Korean Sport & Olympic Committee president Ryu
Seung-min to gauge the country’s willingness to replace Saudi Arabia. Both
South Korea and China were seen as viable alternatives, having hosted the
Winter Olympics in 2018 and 2022 respectively. China also staged the Asian
Winter Games in Harbin earlier this year.
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Mountains
in Neom’s Trojena ski resort receive snow
The Games were originally set to take place at
Trojena, a year-round winter sports complex planned in the mountainous region
of NEOM, which remains under construction.
Source:
Business Recorder
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