OLYMPICS-2022/ALMATY REAX Almaty residents watch their city narrowly losing to Beijing in 2022 Winter Olympics race

Record ID: 145608

  • Title: OLYMPICS-2022/ALMATY REAX Almaty residents watch their city narrowly losing to Beijing in 2022 Winter Olympics race
  • Date: 31st July 2015
  • Summary: WOMEN WAVING SMALL FLAGS
  • Embargoed: 15th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kazakhstan
  • Country: Kazakhstan
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVARAHLB9S0DR78NHWBX5F4J4Q7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Several hundred residents of Kazakhstan's Almaty gathering on a central square of the country's largest city on Friday (July 31) to watch a live transmission from Kuala Lumpur where the International Olympic Committee was due to announce the host of the 2022 Winter Olympics.
    Almaty had only one other competitor, China's capital Beijing that was seen as a clear frontrunner.
    However, a crowd on Republic Square with some wrapped in Kazakh flags was expecting a decision in Almaty's favour.
    "We are expecting a big event. They will announce the host for the 2022 Olympics. We are waiting today for the only decision of the (International) Olympic Committee - so they pull out a flag reading "Almaty". We expect only this. Forward, Almaty! Forward, Almaty!" said Alisher Musraimov.
    Local authorities put several big television screen and organised a low-key stage performance in the run-up to the IOC announcement.
    "The fate of our beloved city is being decided today. We will find out today whether Almaty will become the winning city, whether we will host the 2022 Winter Olympics," said presenter Alibek Sergenov trying to energize the crowd.
    However, Almaty narrowly lost to Beijing in a surprisingly close vote of 85 IOC members. The Chinese capital won 44-40, with one abstention.
    The decision drew a sign of disappointment in the Almaty crowd.
    "Until the very last moment, I was hoping our city would win. Because we already won the right to host the 2017 Universiade, and our country has good prospects. I think that our city will be absolutely ready for the 2026 (bid) and our fight will continue," said Almaty resident who gave his name as Aibek.
    The bid team from Almaty tugged at the IOC's heartstrings, urging the committee, which includes sports administrators, captains of industry and even royalty, to resist the temptation to go back to China.
    Instead, it called on the IOC to send a positive message to smaller developing countries that they too could host the world's greatest sporting events.
    Kazakhstan, a former Soviet state, pitched itself as a model for future hosts, embracing all the new reforms with a low-cost bid in a city which already has most of the facilities in place after hosting the 2011 Asian Winter Games.
    Bidding to become the first majority Muslim country to stage the Olympics, the oil-rich Central Asian country also provided assurances that they had the money to pay for the Games, but the IOC, grappling with the effects of a global economic crisis and facing dwindling interest from countries wanting to host the Olympics, opted for Beijing.
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