Liu Peng, minister of the General Administration of Sport of China and president of the Chinese Olympic Committee reacts at the presentation of Beijing Candidate City's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic games, at the IOC Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, on June 9, 2015. (Xinhua/Zhou Lei)
The Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) president said in Lausanne, Switzerland on Tuesday that Beijing's bid for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games will inspire the enthusiasm of engaging in winter sports across China, and even all over Asia.
At the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, COC president Liu Peng introduced the development of winter sports in China in a briefing to the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
"Winter sports have had a long history, great popularity and bright future in China. The National Winter Games are held in China every four years, and the 13th Winter Games will be staged next year," Liu said.
Liu told to the IOC members that China has successfully hosted two Asian Winter Games, one Winter Universiade and many international and continental winter sports championships in the past years.
The COC president believed that China, which has been a world power in summer sports, would also become a giant in winter sports as they promised in Beijing's bidding race to the world.
IOC vice president Yu Zaiqing, also vice president of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee said, "In 2008, together with the IOC, we had created games that expanding the Olympic values all over the world.Today we make new promises, and we stand before you with our commitment to deliver them."
Beijing is competing with Almaty of Kazakhstan for the 2022 Games, with the host city to be elected at the IOC session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31.
Almaty had their presentation earlier Tuesday.
