Harbin, China, January 21, 2025: The record entry of National Olympic Committees and athletes for the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China next month reflects the efforts of the OCA to promote winter sports throughout the continent.
The Sports Department of the Harbin Asian Winter Games Organising Committee (HAWGOC) has announced that 34 NOCs will take part in the ice and snow sports showpiece from February 7-14.
This is four more Asian NOCs than the previous record at the 8th Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan in 2017, when 30 Asian NOCs were joined by two guest NOCs from Oceania – Australia and New Zealand – in a field of 32 total NOCs.
Furthermore, the 34 NOCs competing in Harbin will be represented by 1,275 athletes – 128 more than the previous highest number of 1,147 at Sapporo 2017.
The figure of 1,275 athletes is comprised of 755 male athletes and 520 female athletes. Among them, 847 athletes (513 male, 334 female) will compete in the ice events in Harbin, while 428 athletes (242 male, 186 female) will enter the snow events in Yabuli.
“Harbin 2025 is expected to host the largest number of participating NOCs and athletes in the history of the Asian Winter Games, reflecting the growing enthusiasm for winter sports across Asia and the attention garnered by Harbin 2025,” Mr. Li Guang, Director of the Sports Department and Deputy Chief Director of the Sport Operations Centre of HAWGOC, said at a recent press conference.
“Spectacular competitions are crucial to the success of a sports event. HAWGOC is sparing no efforts in competition organisation to present a spectacular winter sports gala for spectators across Asia and the world,” he added.
The 34 NOCs taking part at Harbin 2025 are:
Afghanistan
Bhutan
Bahrain
Cambodia
China
Hong Kong, China
Indonesia
India
Iran
Jordan
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Korea
Saudi Arabia
Kuwait
Lebanon
Macao, China
Malaysia
Mongolia
Nepal
Pakistan
Philippines
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Qatar
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Chinese Taipei
United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
To create unforgettable moments for medallists, Harbin 2025 will feature a dedicated medal plaza in the Yabuli cluster for snow events, while victory ceremonies will be held at the five competition venues for the ice sports in Harbin. There will be 32 ice events in Harbin and 32 snow events in Yabuli on the six-sport, 11-discipline, 64-event sports programme.
Meanwhile, preparations for Sport Presentation are also progressing rapidly. Scriptwriting, song selection and process design have been completed and drills have started.
“The Sport Presentation team will endeavour to create a passionate, thrilling and engaging atmosphere at the competition venues, immersing spectators in the unique charm of winter sports,” HAWGOC said.