IOC officials hail China's winter sports development, hosting capacity

BUDAPEST, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- China has entered a new era in winter sports since the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games and remains well positioned to bid for future global competitions in line with long-term development plans, International Olympic Committee officials said here on Monday.

While attending a series of events marking the 130th anniversary of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, IOC Honorary President for Life Thomas Bach said Beijing 2022 marked a turning point for the development of winter sports in China.

"I always said there would be winter sports before Beijing 2022 and winter sports after Beijing 2022, and this has proven to be true," Bach told Xinhua.

"Engaging more than 350 million people, and now around 365 million, represents a totally new dimension for winter sports worldwide."

"This growth in participation and facilities is a great experience and will continue to drive winter sports forward, both in China and globally," he added.

IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr. said China has fully achieved the objective of involving more than 300 million people in winter sports.

"This effort was extremely effective and laid a solid foundation even before the Games took place," Samaranch Jr. said. "Performance and medals do not come overnight. But remember where China was in 2008 and where it is today. The same will apply to winter sports."

Samaranch Jr. also expressed hope that China would continue to pursue and host international sports events.

"China has demonstrated again and again that it can organize major sports events to perfection," he said. "It has successfully hosted the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, and the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023, all in an outstanding way."

Bach added that China should always consider being a candidate for major sports events.

"Hosting the Olympic Games once does not mean that such a huge country, with the sporting power of China, cannot host them again, whether Summer Games, Winter Games or Youth Olympic Games."

"Everyone loves to come to China for major events. The key is to carefully assess what best fits the long-term development plan of a city, a region and sport in China, and then make a decision accordingly," Bach remarked. ■