IOC 'not consulted' over winter Asiad

BERLIN - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Wednesday that it was not consulted by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), which picked Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2029 Asian Winter Games.

The choice of host for the 2029 Games at the OCA general assembly on Tuesday raised eyebrows with the largely desert state of Saudi Arabia experiencing only rare snowfall and without any winter sports infrastructure or tradition.

It also means that all, or the majority of, venues needed for this multi-sport event would have to be built from scratch.

"The IOC was not consulted about the OCA decision," an IOC spokesman said. "As far as the IOC is concerned, sustainability is a key pillar of Olympic Agenda 2020+5. For the Olympic Games, the IOC made it plain... there is a clear priority for existing venues. If these do not exist, the use of temporary venues is encouraged.

"If neither of these works from a sustainability point of view, the respective events can even be held outside the Olympic host country."

Saudi Arabia plans to build a mountain resort in the Gulf state's US$500 billion (S$712.29 billion) flagship Neom project.

The Trojena development is expected to be completed in 2026 and will offer outdoor skiing, a man-made freshwater lake and a nature reserve, according to the project's website.

Separately, golf, coastal rowing and BMX racing will make their debut at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Australia, officials said on Wednesday, but wrestling and judo were dumped.

The Australian state of Victoria will host the event, with all competitions taking place outside the capital of Melbourne and scattered across several towns.

There will be 20 sports and 26 disciplines, including nine fully integrated Para sports, with golf, coastal rowing and BMX racing among the newcomers while shooting makes a comeback after being dropped for the 2022 Birmingham Games in July and August.

"We are thrilled to confirm the sport programme for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with the additional sports proposed by Victoria 2026 completing an exciting and diverse line-up," said Commonwealth Games Federation president Louise Martin.

Golf made its reappearance at the 2016 Olympics after a gap of more than 100 years and was also part of the 2020 Tokyo Games. But the sport has not been part of a Commonwealth Games before.

"This is a great win for golf," said Golf Australia chief James Sutherland. "This announcement validates golf's increasing popularity and the enormous growth that the sport has enjoyed over the last three years."

The Games typically attract more than 4,000 athletes from the 54 nations of the Commonwealth.

AFP, REUTERS