Kazakhstan strives to host 2022 Winter Olympics

    By Ksenia Bondal
    Almaty is one of three finalists still competing to host the 2022 Winter Olympics.
    That decision, rendered in July by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), leaves Almaty to vie with Beijing and Oslo for the honour. The IOC plans to announce its decision next summer.
    Meanwhile, Kazakhstanis are excitedly discussing their country's chances of hosting the Games for the first time.
    
    Debate on Almaty's chances
    Officials like the akim are expressing optimism.
    "Almaty truly could win," Akim Akmetzhan Yessimov said. "Our task now is to develop the city. The public needs to understand the importance of the Olympiad, which will become another impetus (to development)."
    Others are less optimistic about the city's chances.
    "The IOC takes into consideration the applicant country's experience in hosting major international competitions," Aydar Alibayev, chairman of the Union of Consumers of Financial Services of Kazakhstan, said. "Kazakhstan, unfortunately, has no such experience."
    Almaty co-hosted the 7^th Asian Winter Games with Astana in 2011. But the 2011 Asian Winter Games had 26 countries, compared to the 2014 Winter Olympics' 88.
    "Almaty also lacks the necessary infrastructure," Alibayev continued. "We have stadiums, but they're old."
    Another issue is that the 2018 Winter Olympic Games will be in Korea, and the 2020 Summer Games will be in Japan. The IOC typically tries to rotate host countries among the different continents, Alibayev said.
    Still, those drawbacks aren't keeping Kazakhstanis from aspiring for Almaty to host the Games.
    "Of course, it's very prestigious to host the Olympic Games, and Almaty would gain in beauty and in dynamic development," Aidarkhan Kussainov, director of the Almagest consultancy, said. "But … Almaty doesn't meet the listed requirements for holding major events. We don't have facilities for rare sports in Kazakhstan, like curling, bobsled and short-track speed skating."
    But those things can be remedied, Alikhan Kanapiya, a former HSBC banker, said.
    "Bear in mind that Kazakhstan is showing good economic growth. And after production starts at the Kashagan oil field, government revenues will grow significantly," he said.
    
    Weighing pride against cost
    Preparing the city to host the Olympiad would cost at least US $20 billion (3.7 trillion KZT), economists predict, pointing to the need for such things as sporting facilities and hotels.
    "Many countries gave up on this ambitious idea because of economic considerations," Alibayev said, meaning the withdrawals of bids by Poland and Ukraine
    But some economists and Almaty residents take great encouragement from the thought of hosting the Games.
    "As a citizen, I would be proud of my country. ... It's a good advertisement for the country and an opportunity to show the whole world the charms of Kazakhstan," Kanapiya said. "As a finance specialist, I understand that it would provide an influx of investment into the city's infrastructure, which means there would be a real chance of increasing the city's prestige."
    In a year, Kazakhstan will learn how justified its hopes were, according to Central Asia Online.