Australia and New Zealand invited to compete at 2017 Asian Winter Games

Winter sport athletes from Australia, New Zealand and across Oceania will be able to compete at the Asian Winter Games for the first time after all Oceania nations were invited to the event in the 2017 edition in Sapporo, Japan next February.

The eighth edition of the Games will afford Australian athletes the chance for more international experience ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Australians will be able to compete in all individual events in Sapporo which include skiing (alpine, freestyle and cross country), snowboarding, biathlon, speed skating, figure skating, luge and bobsled.

An invite was extended to all Oceania nations after Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates wrote to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) requesting Australia be a part of the eighth edition of the event.

Announcing the invitation, OCA General Director, General Husain Al Musallam, stated "the Asian Winter Games have become a very high level competition with over 30 National Olympic Committees taking part.

“Oceania is a neighbouring confederation for Asia and we welcome not only Australia but all Oceania to take the opportunity to enter for the first time, as a guest but with no medals.

"We will evaluate the situation after that.”

Sapporo hosted the Winter Olympics in 1972

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