Despite the high temperatures in the country and the desert that covers practically all of its territory, Saudi Arabia will host the 2029 Asian Winter Games at the Trojena resort, located in the futuristic city of Neom, on the shores of the Red Sea, Saudi Sports Minister Abdulaziz bin Turki announced on Tuesday.
“We are proud to announce that we have won the bid to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games to be held in Trojena. We are the first country in West Asia to achieve this. This will continue to position the kingdom as one of the leading countries in sport,” the minister said in a tweet on his official account.
The unnatural designation of the Arab country has provoked contrary opinions and among them stands out that of the mountain athlete Kilian Jornet, holder of 30 World and European medals, of which 20 gold, who has harshly criticized both the organizers of the Games like the Olympic Committee.
"Either the Olympic Council of Asia and the IOC only care about fucking money or they are geniuses and they know that in 2029 there will be no snow anywhere and skiing will only be practiced on sand," he wrote with irony on his Twitter account. Catalan, who recently won the most prestigious race in his discipline, the Mont-Blanc Ultra Trail in Chamonix.
Previously, the Asian Winter Games have been held in Kazakhstan, South Korea, twice in China and three times in Japan, countries with climatic conditions suitable for winter sports. The announcement of Saudi Arabia's appointment came after a meeting of the General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia, held in Cambodia.
Saudi Arabia presented its candidacy last August to host these Winter Games. Last March, Saudi Arabia presented Trojena, a multimillion-dollar project with which it hopes to attract hundreds of thousands of tourists and promises to offer a unique experience that combines skiing in the snow and enjoying the arid sand dunes of the Arab country's desert.
The project, launched by Saudi Crown Prince and new Prime Minister Mohamed bin Salman, falls under his program to reform the country, Vision 2030, and is located in the center of the futuristic city of Neom, some 2,600 kilometers above sea level. sea level.
In addition to a ski slope in the middle of the northern Saudi mountains, which are characterized by moderate temperatures compared to other areas of the country, Trojena will include several luxury hotels, a huge water lake and a residential complex, among other facilities. .
