2029 Asian Winter Games
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| Host city | Neom, Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|
| Events | 47 events (expected) |
| Opened by | King of Saudi Arabia (expected) |
| Summer | |
| Winter | |
The 2029 Asian Winter Games (Arabic: دورة الألعاب الآسيوية الشتوية 2029), officially known as the 10th Asian Winter Games and commonly known as Neom 2029 (Arabic: نيوم 2029), will be the tenth edition of the Asian Winter Games, a pan-Asian winter multi-sport event to be held in the winter of 2029 in Neom, Saudi Arabia.[1][2][3][4]
Neom was elected as the host city at the 41st OCA General Assembly on 4 October 2022 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.[5][6] This will be the first Asian Winter Games held in Saudi Arabia, as well as in the Arabian Peninsula. It will also be the first winter sporting event held in an Arabic-speaking country.
Development and preparations
[edit]The Games sports will take place in Trojena, a mountain tourism destination under construction in Neom. Trojena is expected to become the first major outdoor skiing destination in the Arabian Peninsula upon scheduled completion in 2026.[7][8] Trojena's ski village, as well as indoor venues for the ice sports, could be used. The final program for the Games has not yet been decided, but is expected to have at least 47 finals planned.[9]
Concerns and controversies
[edit]Amidst increasing global-warming concerns, the option for the host city of the games raised multiple issues ranging from the high temperatures in the desert, the energy impacts and detour of local water resources to the construction of artificial ski slopes from scratch. Raphael Le Magoariec, a political scientist and specialist in the geopolitics of sports in the Persian Gulf region, said that Riyadh "mainly wants to promote Neom its city of the future." FIS secretary general Michel Vion expressed surprise at the decision of the Olympic Council of Asia, and Olympic downhill silver medalist Johan Clarey said, “it is awful for our sport."[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "Saudi Arabia team lands in Cambodia to present unique Asian Winter Games bid". 2 October 2022.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia's Trojena to host 2029 Asian Winter Games". 4 October 2022.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia to host Asian Winter Games in 2029". 4 October 2022.
- ^ "41st Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly kicks off in Cambodia-Xinhua".
- ^ Burke, Patrick (4 October 2022). "Planned Saudi Arabia resort Trojena awarded 2029 Asian Winter Games". www.insidethegames.biz. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia's Trojena NEOM City to host remarkable Asian Winter Games 2029". www.ocasia.org. 4 October 2022. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
- ^ "NEOM launches TROJENA, mountain tourism project, slated for 2026 completion". Construction Week. 4 March 2022.
- ^ "MBS announces TROJENA, new global destination for mountain tourism in NEOM". Saudi Gazette. 3 March 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
- ^ Carro, Javier (15 February 2025). "Saudi Arabia eyes next Asian Winter Games". www.insidethegames.biz.
- ^ FEBVRE, Coralie. "Choice Of Saudi For Winter Games Reflects Worsening Environment For Major Events". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 2024-07-10.
See also
[edit]| Summer Games |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Games | ||
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