30 days to go: Harbin gears up for return of Asian Winter Games

HARBIN -- As the 9th Asian Winter Games marks its 30-day countdown on Wednesday, the host city of Harbin is entering its final preparation stage, accompanied by growing enthusiasm.

"I have no doubt that the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin will be another great success in the history of the Olympic Movement in Asia," said Husain Al Musallam, director general of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

Located in northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Harbin will host the Games for the second time, having previously hosted the event's third edition in 1996. According to the recently released competition schedule, ice hockey and curling events will begin earlier, on Feb 3 and 4, respectively, with the overall schedule spanning 12 days. The first gold medal event will take place on the morning of Feb 8.

Under the theme "Dream of Winter, Love Among Asia", the Games has so far received 1,275 athlete registrations (755 men and 520 women) from 34 countries and regions across Asia. This is expected to make it the edition with the highest number of participating countries, regions, and athletes.

To ensure a high-quality event, organizers have assembled numerous ice and snow professionals from both domestic and international backgrounds. International and Asian sports federations have appointed 12 technical delegates and one assistant technical delegate from countries and regions including China, South Korea, and Japan.

The OCA has appointed 151 international technical officials, who will work alongside 685 domestic officials, many of whom have extensive experience from the Beijing Winter Olympics and other major events.

Harbin has planned 14 test events since September 2024, covering all competition venues and events.

"The test events evaluated the operation of the venues, equipment and facilities, local support, command and coordination, as well as performance across various business areas," said Li Guang, director of the Sports Competition Department and deputy commander of the Competition Command Center for the Games.

"As we enter the final stretch, we will continue to make every effort to ensure that everything runs smoothly during the Asian Winter Games," Li added.

Test events for snow sports are also being conducted as scheduled in the Yabuli competition area.

"In addition to the 32 events of the Asian Winter Games hosted in Yabuli, we will also host over 20 professional and amateur competitions," said Wang Keshuai, deputy commander of the Command Center for the Yabuli competition area.

Wang noted that Yabuli is taking the opportunity to host more high-level ice and snow events, accelerate infrastructure upgrades, and diversify its offerings.

Compared to summer sports, winter sports are more vulnerable to weather conditions. To address this, meteorological departments in Heilongjiang province and Harbin have developed a comprehensive support plan that includes weather forecasting and monitoring networks.

More than 60 advanced automatic weather monitoring devices have been installed at key locations, including the opening and closing ceremony sites, competition venues, and along highways. These devices are part of a precise forecasting system designed to minimize weather-related disruptions.

In just 30 days, Harbin will welcome athletes from across Asia to pursue their dreams, while the world celebrates winter sports and the passion that drives them forward.