OCA completes first inspection visit to Almaty ahead of 2029 Asian Winter Games
The Olympic Council of Asia has completed its first inspection visit to Almaty as part of preparations for the 10th Asian Winter Games in 2029, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The working program, organized by the Almaty akimat and the city’s sports department, included meetings, visits to sports venues and a review of the city’s hotel infrastructure.
Beknur Kiyatbay, director of the Sports Department at Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee, and Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports Serik Zharasbayev arrived in Almaty to take part in talks with the OCA delegation.
The sides discussed the Games’ governance structure and sports program, as well as venue upgrades, transport, accommodation, accreditation, IT infrastructure, media operations, and broadcasting.
During the visit, the OCA delegation inspected a number of venues in the city and its mountain cluster, including Halyk Arena, Almaty Arena, the Medeu high-altitude outdoor skating rink, Shymbulak ski resort, the Sunkar international ski jumping complex, and the Baluan Sholak Sports Palace.
The inspection covered the current condition of the facilities, modernization plans, sports and technical zones, transport accessibility and compliance with the requirements of international sports federations.
The OCA said its representatives gave a positive assessment of Almaty’s sports infrastructure and readiness to host the Games, citing the city’s existing sporting legacy.
“Particular attention was paid to the mountain cluster and the timeline for completing the planned works. The visit also included a review of Almaty’s hotel infrastructure. The delegation assessed room capacity, conference facilities, transport accessibility and accommodation conditions for athletes and Games officials. The information collected will be used to further develop the accommodation concept. Following the visit, the sides agreed to continue work on establishing the Organizing Committee, drafting a consolidated roadmap and finalizing the sports program for the 2029 Asian Winter Games,” the OCA said.
The sides also agreed to appoint focal points across key functional areas to coordinate further work with the relevant departments of the Almaty city administration.
Almaty was officially awarded the right to host the 10th Asian Winter Games on February 5, 2026. The host city contract was signed in Milan by President of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee Gennady Golovkin and OCA President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the Winter Olympic Games.
In April 2026, the OCA Executive Board appointed President of the Kazakh Taekwondo Federation Kudrat Shamiyev as the OCA vice president overseeing preparations for the 10th Asian Winter Games in Almaty. He will supervise the organization and staging of the 2029 Games and coordinate related matters with the relevant OCA bodies.
The sports program for the 2029 Asian Winter Games in Almaty has yet to be finalized. Kazakhstan will host the event for the second time, having previously staged the Games in Astana and Almaty in 2011.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain had become the most expensive ever for a sporting event in the United States.