On February 7th, the 9th Asian Winter Games kicked off in Harbin, China. This edition of the Games has set a new record for participation, with over 1,200 athletes from 34 countries and regions across Asia. Notably, athletes from Cambodia and Saudi Arabia will make their debuts.

Husain Al Musallam, director general of the Olympic Council of Asia, stated at a press conference on February 6th that the increasing participation of delegations from Central and South Asia signifies a broader reach of winter sports in the region.

Musallam recalled that the inaugural Asian Winter Games were held in Sapporo, Japan, in 1986, when Olympic Committees from West Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia had minimal participation. Today, the Games have attracted growing participation from more countries and regions. "From the West to the East, from the North to the South, the entire Asia has shown increasing enthusiasm for the Asian Winter Games and willingness to engage in winter sports," he added. Musallam particularly mentioned that countries from desert regions, such as Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, have also started sending athletes to compete.

Musallam, who has deep ties with China, previously contributed to Guangzhou's successful bid for the 2010 Asian Games. He mentioned, "Beijing's first hosting of the 1990 Asian Games, the success of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, and the excellent performances of Changchun and Harbin as winter sports cities all stand out. The Hangzhou Asian Games were also a breath of fresh air. Over the past forty years, i have witnessed the development of Chinese sports and the growing influence of Asian sports."

Due to the record-breaking scale of participating delegations and athletes, the schedule of this year's Asian Winter Games has been extended. Ice hockey and curling events began on February 3rd and 4th, respectively, while short-track speed skating started on February 7th. The first gold medal will be awarded on the morning of February 8th.

Source: Lingnan on the Cloud

哈尔滨亚冬会开幕，规模创历届之最

2月7日，第九届亚洲冬季运动会在哈尔滨拉开序幕。本届比赛共有来自亚洲34个国家和地区的1200余名运动员报名参赛，参赛代表团规模为历届之最。柬埔寨和沙特阿拉伯的冰雪健儿也将在此上演亚冬会首秀。

亚奥理事会总干事侯赛因·穆萨拉姆在6日的新闻发布会上表示：“越来越多的中亚、南亚地区代表团加入亚冬会，标志着亚洲冰雪运动的版图进一步扩大。”

穆萨拉姆回忆，亚冬会的历史始于1986年的日本札幌，当时西亚、中亚和南亚地区奥委会基本“零参赛”。如今，亚冬会的“朋友圈”不断扩大，吸引了更多国家和地区参与。“从西到东，从北到南，整个亚洲都越来越喜欢亚冬会，也越来越愿意参与冬季运动。”他特别提到，一些来自沙漠地区的国家，如阿曼、卡塔尔、科威特和沙特，也开始派遣运动员参赛。

穆萨拉姆与中国有着深厚的渊源，曾为广州申办2010年亚运会作出贡献。他提到：“1990年北京首次举办综合性运动会，2010年广州亚运会也非常成功。长春和哈尔滨作为冬季运动城市表现出色，杭州亚运会也令人耳目一新。近四十年来，我见证了中国体育的发展，亚洲体育的影响力也在不断提升。”

此外，由于参赛代表团和运动员规模创历史之最，本届亚冬会赛程将拉长。冰球和冰壶比赛已于2月3日和4日开赛，短道速滑比赛于7日开赛，首枚金牌将于2月8日上午产生。

文 | 记者 苏荇
图 | 视觉中国
译 | 黄宇洁
英文审校 | 赵凡