China defied odds to deliver impressive Winter Olympics » Capital News

After sixteen days of spectacular display of talent, spanning 109 medal events, the Beijing Winter Olympics Games have come to a close. Thanks to impressive execution, the games doused echoes of the Covid-19 pandemic and growing geopolitical tensions to unite humanity in expressing the Olympic essence of excellence, amity and political neutrality.

Drawn from 91 countries and territories, the winter sports athletes demonstrated great sportsmanship, embracing each other in the true Olympian fashion. As the last embers faded from the Olympic flame, a new spirit of unity in diversity fell upon the Bird’s Nest, the national stadium where both opening and closing ceremonies were held.

In hosting the Winter Games, Beijing now goes into the annals of history as the first city to successfully stage both summer and winter Olympics. Yet, this was not the only ‘first’ witnessed during the sporting bonanza. The Games were the first to achieve carbon neutrality; a major feat that has raised the prospects of wide adaption of green energy in the backdrop of climate crisis.

China’s massive investments in the renewables sector ahead of the games paid off with impressive display of technology including hydrogen-powered cars and the world’s largest hydro energy storage battery.  China is now the global leader in wind and solar power production; giving Beijing significant headroom to share its technology and experience with the rest of the world.

Another key highlight of the Winter Games regards China’s epidemics control dexterity. The closed-loop system that came alive in late January reduced infections from the peak of 26 on February 2, to zero on February 13. The overall infection rate stood at just 0.01%, an incredible feat that has since been lauded by the International Olympics Committee (IOC) and multiple other sporting federations around the world.

IOC President Thomas Bach declared the Olympics arena as one of the safest places on this planet, if not the safest. The safety measures those including regular screening, designated shuttle buses and vaccination, made the participants feel safe and comfortable; contrary to earlier fears that led to some quarters calling for the postponement of the games due to the pandemic. In the end, the 10,000 athletes, journalists and sports officials who attended the games agree that Beijing has delivered a safe and grand Olympic Games.

The Beijing Winter Games also proved to be a unifying force for the world. Despite the prevailing wave of the pandemic, the Games were attended by over 30 world leaders including the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, demonstrating greater international support for the games.

The resulting global enthusiasm for the games including in the United States where as high as 14 million people followed the Games’ opening ceremony; sent a resounding verdict about the role of Olympics in curing historical, cultural and even ideological divides. Around the world, two billion people watched the games, according to the IOC. Even in Africa where winter games remain relatively nascent, six countries namely Nigeria, Madagascar, Ghana, Morocco and Eritrea, participated.

The Being Winter Games leaves a three pronged legacy in its wake. First, sports can be force to confront global challenges such as nationalism, pseudo-multilateralism and unilateralism. Secondly, participants drawn from far and wide take home the message that with unity and dedication, it is possible to defeat the Covid-19 global health crisis. Finally, the Games fueled targeted climate action that resonates with the global desire to pull planet earth from brink of climate catastrophe.

The world is currently confronting many cross border problems that only functional multilateral action can ameliorate. The Beijing Winter Olympics motto of ‘together for a shared future,” should serve to rally the world in preparation for the 2026 edition to be hosted by the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The writer is a scholar of international relations with a focus on China-Africa cooperation. Twitter: @Cavinceworld.