Home ATHLETICS 2029 ASIAN GAMES – Saudi Arabia to host 2029 Asian Winter Games

2029 ASIAN GAMES – Saudi Arabia to host 2029 Asian Winter Games

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Saudi Arabia was nominated on Tuesday, May 02, 2023 to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games in Neom, a futuristic megalopolis under construction in the northwest of the desert kingdom, announced the Asian Olympic Council (OCA). «The deserts and mountains of Saudi Arabia will soon be a playground for winter sports», the organisation said in a statement, stating that the decision was taken «unanimously» at its general assembly in Phnom Penh.

Located on the shores of the Red Sea, the Neom project, worth hundreds of billions of dollars and carried by the powerful crown prince Mohamed ben Salmane, has been much talked about since the first announcement made in 2017. Architects and economists have questioned its feasibility.

The Asian Winter Games should take place precisely in Trojena, a mountainous area of Neom ‘where temperatures drop below zero degrees in winter and temperatures throughout the year are generally below 10 degrees» on their website, without mentioning the issue of precipitation. Trojena, which is expected to be completed in 2026, will include year-round ski runs, an artificial freshwater lake, cottages, mansions and luxury hotels, according to the same source.

Mohammed bin Salmane holds the position of Chairman of Neom’s Board of Directors. De facto ruler of the kingdom, he promised with this project to «redefine mountain tourism in the world», while respecting the principles of eco-tourism. The director of Neom, Nadhmi al-Nasr, said that Trojena would be equipped with «adequate infrastructure to create a winter atmosphere in the heart of the desert, and to make these Winter Games an unprecedented global event».

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The Asian Winter Games include ski, snowboard, ice hockey and figure skating competitions, with 47 events in total, including 28 on snow and 19 on ice, according to the OCA. «I never thought I would (one day) ski in my country», said Saudi alpine skier Fayik Abdile, quoted in the organisation’s statement on Tuesday.

Sporting events have multiplied in recent years in Saudi Arabia, accused by NGOs of wanting to divert attention from human rights violations in the kingdom. In an interview with AFP, the Saudi Minister of Sports, Prince Abdulaziz ben Turki Al-Faisal, recently said that his country wants to organize an Olympic Games day. An Egyptian official told him last month that Egypt, Greece and Saudi Arabia had begun discussions on a possible joint bid for the 2030 World Cup.

       

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