View source for Asian Winter Games

{{Short description|International multi-sport event}}
{{for-multi|the current games, held in Harbin|2025 Asian Winter Games|the next games, to be held in Trojena|2029 Asian Winter Games|the summer games|Asian Games}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox Sporting Event Organization
|name = Asian Winter Games
|image = [[Image:Asian Games logo.svg|200px]]
|caption = Official logo of the Games
|abbreviation = AWG
|motto = 
|formation = [[1986 Asian Winter Games]] in [[Sapporo]], [[Japan]]
|recurrence = Four years
|last = [[2025 Asian Winter Games]] in [[Harbin]], [[China]]
|next = [[2029 Asian Winter Games]] in [[Neom]], [[Saudi Arabia]]
|purpose = [[Multi-sport event]] for nations on the [[Asia|Asian]] continent
|headquarters = 
|leader_title = 
|leader_name = 
|website = 
|remarks = 
}}
{{Season sidebar
|title = Games
|list = 
* [[1986 Asian Winter Games|1986]]
* [[1990 Asian Winter Games|1990]]
* [[1996 Asian Winter Games|1996]]
* [[1999 Asian Winter Games|1999]]
* [[2003 Asian Winter Games|2003]]
* [[2007 Asian Winter Games|2007]]
* [[2011 Asian Winter Games|2011]]
* [[2017 Asian Winter Games|2017]]
* [[2025 Asian Winter Games|2025]]
* [[2029 Asian Winter Games|2029]]
}}

The '''Asian Winter Games''' ('''AWG''') is an international [[multi-sport event]] held every four years for members of the [[Olympic Council of Asia]] (OCA) featuring winter events. The [[Japanese Olympic Committee]] first suggested creating a winter version of the [[Asian Games]] in 1982. Their efforts were rewarded when they received hosting rights for the first edition, held in [[Sapporo]] in [[1986 Asian Winter Games|1986]], as the city had the infrastructure and expertise gained from hosting of the [[1972 Winter Olympics]].

From having only seven OCA member nations participate in the first edition, the number of competing nations in the Winter Asiad has grown consistently. In the [[2007 Asian Winter Games]] in [[Changchun]], 27 out of the 45 members fielded a record number of competitors, while all 45 National Olympic Committees sent delegations for the first time in AWG history.

Although games were considered for [[Lebanon]] in 2009, they were ultimately cancelled.<ref>{{cite web|title=The skiers of Lebanon|date=2005-06-04|website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709013446/https://www.smh.com.au/world/the-skiers-of-lebanon-20050604-gdlg1d.html|archive-date=2023-07-09|url-status=live|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/the-skiers-of-lebanon-20050604-gdlg1d.html}}</ref> The next edition is scheduled to be held in [[Neom]], [[Saudi Arabia]] in 2029.

== List of Asian Winter Games ==
{{location map+|Asia|width=750|float=center|caption=Host cities of the Asian Winter Games|places=
{{Location map~|Asia|position=right|lat=43.042069|long=141.299530|label='''[[Sapporo|1986,1990,2017]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Asia|position=top|lat=45.804623|long=126.532435|label='''[[Harbin|1996, 2025]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Asia|position=|lat=37.912750|long=128.072433|label='''[[Gangwon Province (South Korea)|1999]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Asia|position=|lat=40.831633|long=140.747365|label='''[[Aomori, Aomori|2003]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Asia|position=|lat=43.831171|long=125.323544|label='''[[Changchun|2007]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Asia|position=|lat=51.162503|long=71.470356|label='''[[Astana|2011]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Asia|position=|lat=43.226592|long=76.851248|label='''[[Almaty|2011]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Asia|position=|lat=28.006389|long=35.2025|label='''[[Trojena|2029]]'''}}
}}

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%;"
|-
!Edition
!Year
!{{nowrap|Host city}}
!Host nation
!Opened by
!{{nowrap|Start date}}
!{{nowrap|End date}}
!Nations
!Competitors
!Sports
!Events
!Top-placed team
!{{abbreviation|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|[[1986 Asian Winter Games|1]]
|1986
|align=left|[[Sapporo]]
|align=left|{{flag|Japan|1947}} 
|align=left|{{nowrap|[[Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah]]{{efn|name=1986 JapanEmperor|Representing [[Hirohito]], [[Emperor of Japan]].}}}}
|align=left|1 March
|align=left|8 March
|7
|293
|7
|35
|align=left|{{flagIOC2|JPN|1986 Asian Winter Games}}
|<ref>{{cite web|title=1st AWG Sapporo 1986|url=http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=1|publisher=Olympic Council of Asia|access-date=22 July 2010}}{{Dead link|date=October 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|-
|[[1990 Asian Winter Games|2]]
|1990
|align=left|[[Sapporo]]
|align=left|{{flag|Japan|1947}} 
|align=left|[[Akihito|Emperor Akihito]]
|align=left|9 March
|align=left|14 March
|9
|310
|6
|33
|align=left|{{flagIOC2|JPN|1990 Asian Winter Games}}
|<ref>{{cite web|title=2nd AWG Sapporo 1990|url=http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=2|publisher=Olympic Council of Asia|access-date=22 July 2010}}{{Dead link|date=October 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|-
|[[1996 Asian Winter Games|3]]
|1996
|align=left|[[Harbin]]
|align=left|{{flag|China}} 
|align=left|[[Jiang Zemin|President Jiang Zemin]]
|align=left|{{nowrap|4 February}}
|align=left|{{nowrap|11 February}}
|17
|453
|8
|43
|align=left|{{flagIOC2|CHN|1996 Asian Winter Games}}
|<ref>{{cite web|title=3rd AWG Harbin 1996|url=http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=3|publisher=Olympic Council of Asia|access-date=22 July 2010}}{{Dead link|date=October 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
|-
|[[1999 Asian Winter Games|4]]
|1999
|align=left|[[Gangwon Province, South Korea|Gangwon]]
|align=left|{{nowrap|{{flag|South Korea|1997}}}} 
|align=left|[[Kim Dae-jung|President Kim Dae-jung]]
|align=left|{{nowrap|30 January}}
|align=left|{{nowrap|6 February}}
|14
|798
|7
|43
|align=left|{{flagIOC2|CHN|1999 Asian Winter Games}}
|<ref>{{cite web|title=4th AWG Gangwon 1999|url=http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=4|publisher=Olympic Council of Asia|access-date=22 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613092236/http://ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=4|archive-date=2010-06-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|[[2003 Asian Winter Games|5]]
|2003
|align=left|[[Aomori Prefecture|Aomori]]
|align=left|{{flag|Japan}} 
|align=left|[[Naruhito|Crown Prince Naruhito]]{{efn|name=2003-2017 JapanEmperor|Representing [[Akihito]], [[Emperor of Japan]].}}
|align=left|{{nowrap|1 February}}
|align=left|{{nowrap|8 February}}
|17
|641
|'''11'''
|51
|align=left|{{flagIOC2|JPN|2003 Asian Winter Games}}
|<ref>{{cite web|title=5th AWG Aomori 2003|url=http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=5|publisher=Olympic Council of Asia|access-date=1 February 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111208112853/http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=5|archive-date=2011-12-08|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|[[2007 Asian Winter Games|6]]
|2007
|align=left|[[Changchun]]
|align=left|{{flag|China}} 
|align=left|[[Hu Jintao|President Hu Jintao]]
|align=left|{{nowrap|28 January}}
|align=left|{{nowrap|4 February}}
|25
|796
|10
|47
|align=left|{{flagIOC2|CHN|2007 Asian Winter Games}}
|<ref>{{cite web|title=6th AWG Changchun 2007|url=http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=6|publisher=Olympic Council of Asia|access-date=28 January 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522120614/http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=6|archive-date=2011-05-22|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|[[2011 Asian Winter Games|7]]
|2011
|align=left|{{nowrap|[[Astana]] and [[Almaty]]}}
|align=left|{{flag|Kazakhstan}} 
|align=left|[[Nursultan Nazarbayev|President Nursultan Nazarbayev]]
|align=left|{{nowrap|30 January}}
|align=left|{{nowrap|6 February}}
|26
|843
|'''11'''
|'''69'''
|align=left|{{nowrap|{{flagIOC2|KAZ|2011 Asian Winter Games}}}}
|<ref>{{cite web|title=7th AWG Astana-Almaty 2011|url=http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=7|publisher=Olympic Council of Asia|access-date=30 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108024747/http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=7|archive-date=2010-11-08|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|[[2017 Asian Winter Games|8]]
|2017
|align=left|{{nowrap|[[Sapporo]] and [[Obihiro]]}}
|align=left|{{flag|Japan}} 
|align=left|[[Naruhito|Crown Prince Naruhito]]{{efn|name=2003-2017 JapanEmperor}}
|align=left|{{nowrap|19 February}}
|align=left|{{nowrap|26 February}}
|32
|1,147
|'''11'''
|64
|align=left|{{flagIOC2|JPN|2017 Asian Winter Games}}
|<ref>{{cite web|title=8th AWG Sapporo 2017|url=http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=8|publisher=Olympic Council of Asia|access-date=19 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101107080130/http://www.ocasia.org/Game/GameParticular.aspx?GPCode=8|archive-date=2010-11-07|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|[[2025 Asian Winter Games|9]]
|2025
|align=left|{{nowrap|[[Harbin]]}}
|align=left|{{nowrap|{{flag|China}}}}
|align=left|President [[Xi Jinping]]
|align=left|7 February 
|align=left|14 February
|'''34'''
|'''1,222'''
|'''11'''
|64
|align=left|{{flagIOC2|CHN|2025 Asian Winter Games}}
|<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pang|first=Damon|title=President Xi declares 2025 Asian Winter Games open - RTHK|url=https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1790740-20250207.htm|access-date=2025-02-12|website=news.rthk.hk|language=en-gb}}</ref>
|-
|[[2029 Asian Winter Games|10]]
|2029
|align=left|{{nowrap|[[Neom]]}}
|align=left|{{nowrap|{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}}}
|align=left|TBD
|align=left|
|align=left|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}

* At the 2017 Games, the [[Olympic Council of Asia]] invited athletes from [[Oceania National Olympic Committees|Oceania]]. Two countries from the region ([[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]]) accepted the invitation and their athletes competed along with 30 NOCs from [[Asia]].

==Sports==
{{Main article|Asian Games sports#Asian Winter Games|l1=Asian Winter Games sports}}

{|cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="margin: 1em auto;"
|-
|valign="top"|
{|class=wikitable
|-
! Sport||Years
|-
|[[Alpine skiing at the Asian Winter Games|Alpine skiing]]||All
|-
|style="background: #D3D3D3;"|[[Bandy at the Asian Winter Games|Bandy]]||2011
|-
|[[Biathlon at the Asian Winter Games|Biathlon]]||All
|-
|[[Cross-country skiing at the Asian Winter Games|Cross-country skiing]]||All
|-
|[[Curling at the Asian Winter Games|Curling]]||2003–2007, since 2017
|-
|[[Figure skating at the Asian Winter Games|Figure skating]]||1986, since 1996
|-
|[[Freestyle skiing at the Asian Winter Games|Freestyle skiing]]||1996, since 2003
|-
|[[Ice hockey at the Asian Winter Games|Ice hockey]]||All
|-
|[[Short-track speed skating at the Asian Winter Games|Short-track speed skating]]||All
|-
|[[Ski jumping at the Asian Winter Games|Ski jumping]]||2003, 2011-2017
|-
|[[Ski mountaineering at the Asian Winter Games|Ski mountaineering]]||2025
|-
|style="background: #D3D3D3;"|[[Ski orienteering at the Asian Winter Games|Ski orienteering]]||2011
|-
|[[Snowboarding at the Asian Winter Games|Snowboarding]]||2003–2007, since 2017
|-
|[[Speed skating at the Asian Winter Games|Speed skating]]||All
|-
|}
|}

==Medal count==
{{Main article|All-time Asian Winter Games medal table}}As of 2025, the 34 National Olympic Committees have participated throughout the history of the Games.<ref name="record">{{cite web|date=21 January 2025|title=HAWGOC confirms record entry of NOCs, athletes for Harbin 2025|url=https://oca.asia/news/5873-hawgoc-confirms-record-entry-of-nocs-athletes-for-harbin-2025.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250123170222/https://oca.asia/news/5873-hawgoc-confirms-record-entry-of-nocs-athletes-for-harbin-2025.html|archive-date=23 January 2025|access-date=21 January 2025|website=www.oca.asia/|publisher=[[Olympic Council of Asia]]}}</ref> Only China, Japan, and South Korea have won at least one gold medal at every Asian Winter Games, while Japan, China, and Kazakhstan became the only three countries in history to emerge as the first places at the medal tables.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Asian Winter Games 1986|url=https://oca.asia/games/92-sapporo-1986.html|access-date=2025-02-14|website=oca.asia}}</ref>

{{Medals table
|caption  = 
|host   = 
|flag_template = flagIOC2
|event  = Asian Games
|team   = 
|gold_JPN = 148|silver_JPN = 156|bronze_JPN = 130
|gold_CHN = 126|silver_CHN = 112|bronze_CHN = 131
|gold_KOR = 90|silver_KOR = 98|bronze_KOR = 106
|gold_KAZ = 82|silver_KAZ = 71|bronze_KAZ = 62
|gold_PRK = 1|silver_PRK = 5|bronze_PRK = 12
|gold_UZB = 2|silver_UZB = 2|bronze_UZB = 4
|gold_LBN = 1|silver_LBN = 1|bronze_LBN = 0
|gold_PHI = 1|silver_PHI = 0|bronze_PHI = 0
|gold_MGL = 0|silver_MGL = 1|bronze_MGL = 6
|gold_IRI = 0|silver_IRI = 1|bronze_IRI = 2
|gold_KGZ = 0|silver_KGZ = 0|bronze_KGZ = 1
|gold_TPE = 0|silver_TPE = 0|bronze_TPE = 1
|gold_THA = 0|silver_THA = 0|bronze_THA = 1
}}

==See also==
* [[Winter Olympic Games]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.harbin2025.com/english/index.html 2025 Asian Winter Games official website]
*[https://oca.asia/ Olympic Council of Asia]

{{Asian Games}}
{{EventsOCA}}
{{Multi-sport events}}

[[Category:Asian Winter Games|Asian Winter Games]]
[[Category:Asian international sports competitions]]
[[Category:Quadrennial sporting events]]
[[Category:Winter multi-sport events]]
[[Category:Multi-sport events in Asia]]
[[Category:Olympic Council of Asia]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1986]]
[[Category:Winter sports in Asia]]