Harbin, China, August 10, 2025: The first Asian Figure Skating Youth Development Camp got underway in Harbin, the birthplace of modern winter sports in China, with the young participants listening to words of inspiration and motivated by the presence of two-time world champion and Olympic medallist Pang Qing on Sunday, August 10.
A total of 47 young athletes – 19 boys and 28 girls – from 20 Asian countries and regions will go down in posterity as the first participants of the 2025 OCA-ISU-CAIC nine-day training camp.
In addition, 25 coaches – 11 male and 14 female – are also participating in this inaugural joint collaboration between the OCA, the International Skating Union and the Children of Asia International Committee.
“This is a historic milestone in the development of figure skating in Asia,” stated Julian Yee, ISU representative and Chief Instructor of the camp, in his speech at the opening ceremony.
“It will be a meaningful camp as it will foster the next generation of athletes and coaches in Asia,” Yee added.
A total of 20 Asian countries and regions accepted the invitation for this camp which is hosted by the OCA and the Harbin Municipal Government and supported by the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Chinese Figure Skating Association.
The countries and regions are: Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Chinese-Taipei, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and China.
Among the dignitaries present at the opening ceremony were Zhang Haihua, Vice Mayor, Harbin Municipal Government; Bai Zhiguo, Director, Harbin Sports Bureau; OCA representatives Wissam Trkmani, Director NOC Relations & Development and Jeans Zhou Jian, Director Media & Broadcasting; and CAIC Vice Chair Sherzod Asatullayev.
