Beijing to host 2022 Winter Olympics

Risingbd Desk: Beijing was elected to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, beating the bid of Kazakhstan`s Almaty on Friday.

Beijing was selected on the day to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, becoming the first city awarded both the winter and summer games.

The International Olympic Committee chooses Beijing, China to host the 2022 Winter Olympics over Almaty, Kazakhstan. Beijing, which previously staged the Games in 2008, is the first city to host the Summer and Winter Games.

Beijing narrowly defeated Almaty, Kazakhstan, in a vote of the International Olympic Committee. The vote was surprisingly close: 44-40.

The Chinese capital, which hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics, came in to the vote as the strong favorite, despite its lack of natural snow.

The secret ballot held by 85 International Olympic Committee members in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia was conducted twice, first electronically and then by paper, after it was discovered the electronic system had malfunctioned.

With agencies input

risingbd/ Kuala Lumpur/ July 31, 2015/ Mahfuz/ Augustin Sujan