TASS, April 7. The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region may hope to host the Arctic Winter Games due in 2026, the region’s Governor Dmitry Artyukhov said in an interview with TASS on Tuesday.
"I hope we shall earn the right to host the competitions, which traditionally take place in North America," he said. "However, Greenland may also bid. The Games have never taken place in Scandinavia or Russia. We have welcomed the Evaluation Commission in the region, they liked everything."
The Arctic Winter Games have been held every other year since 1970. They feature teams from Russia, Canada, the US, Greenland, Finland, Sweden and Norway. Since 2004, Russia has been represented by a team from Yamal. In 2020, the Games, due in Canada, have been cancelled because of the coronavirus outbreak. About 70 athletes from Yamal have planned to participate in the Games.
The Yamalo-Nenets Region bids for the first time for hosting the Arctic Winter Games in Russia. Salekhard (the region’s capital) has good sports, accommodation and catering facilities. It is a potential host city. During the Games in 2018, Russia’s preliminary bid was approved by the International Committee. Further discussion of the Russian bid was scheduled for March 2020 as part of a session of the Arctic Winter Games’ International Committee.