AKIPRESS.COM - Kazakhstan's Almaty is well-positioned to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, said the International Olympic Committee's evaluation commission chief Alexander Zhukov on Wednesday, according to SBS reports.
He refused to be drawn on comparisons with the only other bidder for the games, Beijing, but called Almaty a “qualified candidate.”
Zhukov added that the Games should be able to turn a profit for Kazakhstan.
“We can't speak about the Olympic Games as a project that takes away money that could be used differently for social needs,” he said.
Hosting the Games would “help the city fulfill its full potential,” he said.
The host city of the 2022 Winter Olympics will be announced on July 31 this year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.