Harbin, China, September 25, 2024: A lot can change in 15 years, especially in China.
Harbin and Yabuli are no exceptions, according to a leading sports official from Mongolia who was attending the three-day Chefs de Mission Seminar for the 9th Asian Winter Games in February 2025.
“I came to Harbin and Yabuli in 2009 for the Winter Universiade and these days everything is bigger and there are many more buildings and sports facilities, especially in Yabuli,” said D. Jargalsaikhan, Mongolia’s Deputy Head of Delegation for the 9th AWG.
“A lot has changed in those 15 years and my overall impression of the competition venues and hotels is very good. I noticed that some of the old buildings have been removed and there are new venues, especially regarding the warm-up areas and competition venues.
“In Harbin, the training and competition venues will be within walking distance, and the athletes will be together.”
The CDM Seminar began on Monday with a series of presentations by organising committee HAWGOC and was followed on Tuesday by a look at the official hotels and competition venues for the ice sports, including speed skating, short track, figure skating and ice hockey.
The third day involved a high-speed rail journey to Yabuli, some 190km away, and visits to official hotels and several of the competition venues being prepared for snow sports such as Alpine skiing, biathlon, aerials, slopestyle and halfpipe.
“We are very much looking forward to coming back next February,” he added. “At the moment, Mongolia will compete in four sports and nine events, including curling for the first time in our history in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
“We will have a delegation of around 70 athletes and officials and we are hoping to add more if we can get into the ice hockey competition. At the moment we are first reserve and on the waiting list. The ice hockey team is still training in the hope that we can compete. That would take our delegation to around 100.
“At the last Asian Winter Games our delegation was 35 – so we have doubled it for Harbin.”
To summarise the three-day CDM Seminar, the NOC Mongolia Board Member described it as “intensive and impressive” to see Harbin and Yabuli.