Almaty is a Rightful Host of 2011 Asian Winter Games
Akimat (administration) of Almaty City and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) signed the Host City Contract on March 4, 2006 in Kuwait enabling Almaty to host 2011 Asian Winter Games. The timeframe of the Seventh Asiad was set at January 30 – February 6, 2011. Signing of the contract was a point of reference for concerned officials who flung themselves into the arrangements for 2011 Asian Winter Games in tandem with majority city departments and agencies. The arrangements included a contest for symbols of Almaty Asiad; defining sport items, where best sportsmen from the region will compete; choosing sports facilities; locating future sports facilities. It is a large-scale scope of tasks related to the creation of a suitable infrastructure in the city. This embraces construction of a new terminal and runway in the International Airport of Almaty, by-pass highway and a chain of traffic interchanges. These facilities will enable a swift and comfortable transfer of sportsmen and sport fans from the airport to the Olympic village, training sites and venues of qualifying and final competitions. The arrangements provide for an upgrade of Medeo high-mounting skating rink, Shymbulak alpine ski resort, Baluan Sholak Sports Palace, Central Stadium, setup of the first stage of Almaty subway, construction of the service infrastructure, which suggests refitting the available hospitals and broadcast centers with upswing equipment. Moreover, there will be a new chain of small and big hotels, cafeterias and restaurants, as well as training centers for volunteers fluent in Asian languages and English. The list is endless, as the more facilities are refitted and constructed the more magnificent the Asian sport forum held in Almaty will be. These all will finally benefit Almaty locals. Leaving the contract aside, it should be noted that the sporting authorities were eager to see the 6th Asian Winter Games when Mayor Zhu Yejing of Changchun, a small town by Chinese measurements with six or eight million population, bore a banner of Asian Winter Games. Almaty City Akim Imangali Tasmagambetov was expected to receive the flag of the Olympic Council of Asia at their closing. The baton was passed on February 4, 2007 at Changchun Wuhuan Dome stadium, when Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia Ho Jenting made an official statement thereof. It was a top news story in mass media of Almaty, Changchun, Beijing and dozens countries in Asia and worldwide. A lot of newspapers and magazines posted pictures from the ceremony and Beijing television broadcasted these video records for several days. “From this point on we carry the flag of the Asian Olympic Committee. This means we are a rightful host of 2011 Asian Games. We have embarked on thoroughgoing preparations for the event,” Tasmagambetov told a group of journalists from Kazakhstan accredited for the 6th Asian Games after the sacred Asiad Flame was gradually extinguished outside the Gymnasium and the closing ceremony was over. “Almaty right to host the 7th Asian Winter Games first of all is indicative of the growing role of Kazakhstan in the world community as an independent country. Kazakhstan is more and more recognizable owing to vast backing by our President Nursultan Nazarbayev. I once again would like to congratulate all residents of Almaty and all people of Kazakhstan on this outstanding event,” the Akim highlighted.
