The Worldwide Olympic Committee mentioned on Wednesday it was not consulted within the resolution by the Olympic Council of Asia to choose Saudi Arabia because the hosts of the 2029 Asian winter Video games.
The selection for the 2029 Video games on the OCA basic meeting on Tuesday raised eyebrows within the sports activities world with the largely desert state of Saudi Arabia experiencing solely uncommon snowfall and with none winter sports activities infrastructure or custom. It additionally implies that all or the vast majority of venues wanted for this multi-sports occasion must be constructed from scratch. “The IOC was not consulted in regards to the OCA resolution with regard to the Asian Winter Video games and was not concerned within the decision-making course of,” an IOC spokesperson mentioned.
“So far as the IOC is worried, sustainability is a key pillar of Olympic Agenda 2020+5,” the official informed Reuters in reference to the IOC’s Olympic Video games reform plan aimed toward lowering prices and the dimensions of the Olympics to make them extra engaging to potential future host cities.
Saudi Arabia plans to construct a mountain resort within the Gulf Arab state’s $500 billion flagship NEOM challenge. The TROJENA growth is predicted to be accomplished in 2026 and can supply outside snowboarding, a man-made freshwater lake and a nature reserve, in line with the challenge’s web site. “For the Olympic Video games, the IOC made it plain in Olympic Agenda 2020+5 that there’s a clear precedence for current venues. If these don’t exist, using momentary venues is inspired,” the IOC spokesperson mentioned.
“If neither of those works from a sustainability viewpoint, the respective occasions may even be held outdoors the Olympic host nation. The IOC additionally requires organizing committees to attain climate-positive Olympic Video games by 2030 on the newest.”
Paris will maintain the 2024 summer time Olympics whereas Italy’s Cortina D’Ampezzo will stage the 2026 winter Video games. The 2028 summer time Video games can be held in Los Angeles whereas Brisbane, Australia, will organise the 2032 summer time Olympics.
NEOM is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s most bold challenge beneath the Saudi kingdom’s Imaginative and prescient 2030 growth plan to scale back reliance on oil and remodel the financial system, together with by creating sports activities. NEOM, a 26,500-square-km (10,230-square-mile) high-tech growth on the Purple Sea, will embody zero-carbon metropolis “The Line” in addition to industrial and logistics areas.