The allocation of Asian Winter Games 2029 The decision to award the contract to Saudi Arabia, not exactly a country suited to winter sports, sparked a heated controversy. The decision was deemed unrealistic and completely out of touch with current climate challenges. Seeking credibility, the project took a different turn with the announcement of the postponement of the edition, implying that all the conditions were not in place for the event to be held under optimal conditions.
The Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the Asian Olympic Council have agreed on a " new frame "To give Saudi Arabia more time to develop a winter culture, with the goal of hosting the Asian Winter Games. The country will host " independent winter sporting events in the coming years In order to " to promote winter sports, broaden participation and develop a stronger pool of talent of athletes, technical officials and practitioners, while offering additional preparation time for to support broader regional representation during future Asian winter events ».
A sign of the long road ahead: Saudi Arabia had to wait until 2022 to participate in the Winter Olympics (with a single athlete, skier Fayik Abdi) and 2025 to make its debut at the Asian Winter Games (with eight athletes). In its statement, the OCA welcomed " Saudi Arabia's ongoing efforts to implement comprehensive and sustainable programs in the field of winter sports It remains to be seen when it will be ready to host the Games…
