30-day countdown to biggest, most inclusive Asian Winter Games yet

(ECNS) -- The 30-day countdown to the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province commenced on Tuesday.

The Games will be the first major international ice and snow event hosted by China since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The organizing committee has released the competition schedule by session. Ice hockey and curling events will begin on Feb. 3 and 4, respectively. According to the schedule, Team China will make its debut in the Mixed Doubles’ Curling Round Robin on the morning of Feb. 4.

The competition will run for 12 days, with the first gold medal of the Games to be awarded on the morning of Feb. 8.

So far, 1,275 athletes from 34 countries and regions have registered to participate in the Games, with the number of participating delegations and athletes expected to reach a record high.

Notably, Cambodia and Saudi Arabia will make their debut at the Games, reflecting the event’s expanding reach and inclusiveness.

According to Yu Haiyan, deputy director of China's Winter Sports Management Center, China finalized its team selection for the upcoming games at the end of December 2024.

Team China will send over 170 athletes to compete in all 64 events at this year’s Asian Winter Games. The event will feature a significant expansion, with 31 percent hosted for the first time.

The theme of the Asian Winter Games, "Dream of Winter, Love among Asia," serves as both the official slogan and the creative inspiration for the opening ceremony performance.

Director Sha Xiaolan, known for his work behind the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games ceremonies, will lead the production of both the opening and closing ceremonies of the event.

Sha noted that the opening ceremony will incorporate cutting-edge AI models and AR technology, expanding creative possibilities. It will also highlight ice and snow elements to showcase the energy of winter sports and the allure of ice culture.