Jacques Rogge to visit Kazakhstan for first time in sports history of country

As the President of the Olympic Committee noted in one of his interviews he was looking forward to these Asian Winter Games especially after the success of the Asian Games in Guangzhou. "I expect professionalism, fair contests and positive moods that reigned at the recent Games. Geography of sport expands its borders. These Games in Astana and Almaty are a vivid example of it. Kazakhstan has already proved that it's capable of organizing events at the highest possible levels. I candidly wish all the people of Kazakhstan Olympic health and prosperity to your country", he said.

He also noted in the same interview that the country that earns an opportunity to hold the biggest sports events such as Olympic Games or Asian Games benefits from it a lot in development of sport in preparing for the events. First of all the prestige of the country is growing. "The legacy of the Olympic Games - beautiful sports facilities, improvement of the infrastructure, resolution of the environment problems, development of tourism - will serve for good of the country over many years then. I call people of Kazakhstan to use the legacy of the Games as long as possible", the President of the Olympic Committee added.