IOC executive: Beijing a 'good chance' for 2022

Ugur Erdener, the Turkish Olympic Committee president and member of the IOC Executive Board, holds the YOG Daily. PHOTO BY SUN XIAOCHEN / CHINA DAILY

Ugur Erdener, a member of IOC Executive Board, said Beijing has a good chance to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, citing pleasant personal experiences during the 2008 Summer Games in the Chinese capital.

"I personally believe that all three cities can host the 2022 Winter Olympics. Beijing has great experience from the 2008 Olympics, which were well organized," the Turkish Olympic Committee president said.

"According to the Beijing Winter Olympics project, everything seems good for winter sport activities," said Erdener, who is in Nanjing for the Youth Olympics.

Beijing launched a joint bid in November with neighboring city Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. The other two candidates are Oslo, Norway, and Almaty, Kazakhstan.

"Oslo has very strong winter sports traditions, while Almaty is a new city for winter sports. The decision will be based on evaluation reports and I think all three cities are capable of hosting the 2022 Winter Games," he said.