The ninth Asian Winter Games (AWG) is being held in Harbin, the capital city of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, from February 7 to 14, 2025, representing the latest international comprehensive winter sports event held in China since the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

Overall, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has been highly impressed with the preparations. Every visiting delegate has had warm words of praise for the venues and infrastructure such as the high-speed train from Harbin to Yabuli where the snow events will take place.

As Harbin was elected to be the host city of the event as recently as July 8, 2023, this gave them only 18 months to prepare for the Games – a very short time frame indeed as major international events usually require several years of preparation beforehand.

However, the OCA was confident that Harbin would deliver on time from the start. Here is why: First, China has proved to be a valuable partner in the global Olympic movement, with excellent cooperation between major stakeholders such as the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Olympic Committee, the local organizing committee and the governments of Heilongjiang Province and Harbin city.

Teamwork is vital to succeed both on and off the field of play. Such collaboration has been a key element in the rise of China in the Olympic movement at both international and continental levels.

Second, China has displayed its prowess in organizing major winter games, notably the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing and, before that, the third AWG in Harbin in 1996 and the sixth AWG in Changchun in 2007.

As the AWG are now back in Harbin, bigger than ever, Harbin 2025 will therefore complete an AWG hosting hat-trick, giving everyone full confidence that China will write another rich chapter in the OCA's success story.

Third, the exploding popularity of winter sports in China: This will surely be felt at Harbin and Yabuli as the public show up to cheer for their favorite athletes. Such enthusiasm will undoubtedly inspire a new generation of winter sports athletes, following the footsteps of their heroes on ice and snow.

Harbin has also impressed OCA officials with the venue facilities. All five venues are now ready for the golden moment.

The OCA promotes sustainability and legacy. The five stadiums in Harbin – one for speed skating, short track speed skating, figure skating and curling and two for ice hockey – stand as perfect examples of this philosophy as renovation has been the key to preparations. This approach has also allowed ample time for testing events without having to sweat over construction deadlines or even delays for new stadiums.

When the much-anticipated event kicks off, visitors from around the world will also be impressed with the city's world-famous tourist attraction – Harbin Ice-Snow World.

The OCA is extremely appreciative that this magnificent theme park will devote so much space to the AWG in numerous ways, notably with the Asian Games Glory Square where medal winners will be celebrated every day. It's a win-win for both parties to promote the unique ice and snow tourist festival and the Games together.

Another highlight will be the train journey from Harbin to Yabuli. Once again this will provide visitors from afar with the chance to witness the new, prosperous China as the high-speed train whizzes through the snowy countryside, giving them a glimpse of China's rapid rail development.

The theme of Harbin 2025 is "Dream of Winter, Love among Asia." The motto denotes unity and harmony, respect and friendship among all participants as the AWG brings together athletes from 34 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) from all five zones of the OCA.

This figure beats the previous record of 32 at the eighth AWG in Sapporo, Japan, in 2017, although two of those 32 were guest NOCs from Australia and New Zealand. There will also be 1,275 athletes participating this year, 128 more than the previous high of 1,147 who competed in Sapporo.

Notably, several desert countries will be represented in ice hockey as the sport attracts enthusiastic players to the ice rinks. Countries in Southeast Asia will also figure prominently, again through city ice rinks and also from nationals living overseas who have taken up winter sports.

The OCA always encourages as many NOCs as possible to join the AWG, and the NOCs in turn urge their national winter sport federations to identify local talent either at home or abroad.

The entry of 34 from all 45 NOCs in the OCA is a remarkable achievement, especially considering that the first AWG in 1986 attracted only 430 athletes and officials from seven NOCs. This shows how winter sports have developed throughout the continent. The OCA is very much looking forward to the return to Harbin for the ninth AWG in 2025, 29 years after the third Asian Winter Games in 1996.

Source: China Global Television Network (CGTN)