Sarah Lewis, the former Secretary General of the International Ski Federation (FIS) and the first woman to hold the position, recently joined Greg Laffradi on CGTN Sports Scene's Talk Sports series. Their discussion centered on the promising potential of the upcoming Asian Winter Games.
The ninth Asian Winter Games are scheduled to take place in Harbin, located in the Heilongjiang Province of the Chinese mainland, from February 7 to 14. While the event's program may not rival the Winter Olympic Games in scale, Lewis emphasized its unique appeal.
\"The Asian Winter Games are a special opportunity and a fantastic showcase of winter sport talents from all across Asia,\" Lewis remarked. \"They feature a diverse mix of established winter sports nations like China, Japan, and Korea, alongside emerging sport countries from Central and South Asia. The Asian Winter Games provide a crucial platform for Asian athletes to develop and gain experience at a multi-sport event.\"
Reflecting on China's achievements in winter sports, Lewis noted the significant impact of the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing and Zhangjiakou. China had set an ambitious goal to engage 300 million people in winter sports, a target that not only was met but surpassed.
According to a survey released by the National Bureau of Statistics of the Chinese mainland in January 2022, over 346 million Chinese residents have participated in winter sports since Beijing successfully bid for the 2022 Winter Games in 2015.
\"That has certainly been one of the remarkable positives from hosting the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, without any question,\" Lewis stated. \"The commitment of everybody involved in China made this really the success factor. And consequently, China's efforts across winter sports development have been absolutely remarkable. The goal of getting 300 million people involved was ambitious, but it was met clearly and surpassed.\"
Reference(s):
Talk Sports: Former FIS chief on significance of Asian Winter Games
cgtn.com
