Ninth Asian Winter Games Kick Off in Harbin with Saudi Arabia’s Debut

Photo : SPA

The 9th Asian Winter Games started in Harbin, China, with a ceremony led by Chinese President Xi Jinping. This is a special event for Saudi Arabia because it is joining the Games for the first time. The Saudi team is led by Prince Fahd bin Jalawi bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed, the Vice President of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Around 1,500 athletes from 34 countries are competing in the Games. The Saudi curling team will play five matches from February 9 to 12 against teams from Qatar, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Thailand.

Saudi Arabia started the Winter Sports Federation in 2019 to support winter sports. In 2022, it was divided into two groups: the Saudi Ice Sports Federation and the Saudi Snow Sports Federation. This change will help Saudi Arabia grow in both ice and snow sports.

Saudi Arabia’s participation in the Games shows that the country wants to grow winter sports and inspire more people to join in. It is a big step forward for winter sports in Saudi Arabia.