Mascots of the 2025 Asian Winter Games
China, Japan, and South Korea have applied for all competition categories at the 2025 Asian Winter Games, and Cambodia and Saudi Arabia are set to make their Games debut, organizers announced ahead of the 100-day countdown to the Harbin Games during a press conference on Tuesday.
Harbin, the capital of Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, is set to host the 9th Asian Winter Games from February 7 to 14 in 2025, marking the city's second time hosting the event since the 1996 edition.
The 2025 Asian Winter Games have attracted 34 countries and regions, surpassing previous records in both the number of participants and diversity.
Saudi Arabia, the host country of the 2029 Asian Winter Games, is set to make its debut in Harbin, participating in alpine skiing, speed skating, and ice curling.
China's enthusiasm for winter sports has grown exponentially following the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, with "300 million people on ice and snow" becoming a reality, transforming winter sports into a mainstream pursuit across the country.
Over 170 Chinese athletes are expected to compete across 64 events, according to Zhou Jinqiang, vice chief of China's sports governing body the General Administration of Sport.
The surge in participation in events like alpine skiing, with 25 countries registered, demonstrates a rising enthusiasm for winter sports across Asia.
