Beijing and Almaty yesterday embarked on a frantic final lobbying campaign for the 2022 Winter Olympics ahead of a decision this week on the winner.
High-level delegations from China and Kazakhstan are in Kuala Lumpur, where the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is to hold a secret ballot on Friday to decide between the two rivals.
The Games are guaranteed to go to Asia for the second time in a row after 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea. However, Almaty has been gaining ground in recent weeks against the Chinese capital, which has been considered the overwhelming favorite for several months.
Beijing has been throwning its heavyweight lobbying power into securing the Games, highlighting its successful staging of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and its deep pockets. Its team in Kuala Lumpur includes Yao Ming, the giant former NBA star.
However, the oil-rich Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan also has cash and has impressed with its promise of a “real” Olympics with all of the facilities and plenty of snow within 33km of its former capital.
China is considered a safe bet. And if it wins, Beijing will become the first city to host the Summer and Winter Olympics. Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that holding the 2022 games would “ignite the passion” for winter sports among a new generation of Chinese.
However, Chongli, where the Olympic village is proposed, is more than 160km from Beijing and some venues are 200km away. The Alpine ski venue at Yanqing will need artificial snow to put on the contest.
Almaty played on China’s lack of snow with its “Keeping it Real” slogan that impressed IOC members, who went on an inspection visit last month.
“There are two bids in the contest. China are favorites, but they can still be beaten,” one IOC member said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We have two excellent candidates,” IOC president Thomas Bach said last week on a visit to Moscow. “The choice will not be easy.”
Once there were six candidates. However, Oslo, Stockholm, Krakow in Poland and Lviv in Ukraine withdrew because of public fears over the cost.
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