- IOC says it was not involved in the decision-making process
- 2029 Games in clear conflict with policy of using existing arenas
The International Olympic Committee has said it was not consulted in the decision by the Olympic Council of Asia to pick Saudi Arabia as the hosts of the 2029 Asian Winter Games.
The choice for the 2029 Games at the OCA general assembly raised eyebrows in the sports world with the largely desert state of Saudi Arabia experiencing only rare snowfall and without any winter sports infrastructure or tradition. That means all or most venues needed for this multi-sports event would have to be built from scratch.