The coming 2022 Winter Olympic Games in China will start a new era for winter sports around the world, Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said at the 139th International Olympic Committee Session on Thursday.

The opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Games will take place at the National Stadium in Beijing on Friday. "Tomorrow evening, we will again make history – together with our Chinese partners and friends," Bach said. "Tomorrow, Beijing will officially become the first city ever to host both summer and winter editions of the Olympic Games."

China launched a campaign of engaging 300 million people in winter sports as part of its preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympics. By January, it had exceeded this goal.

"Well over 300 million Chinese people are now taking up sport on snow and ice in about 2,000 ski resorts and ice rinks across the country. This is why I would like to congratulate the Chinese Olympic Committee and the entire sports movement in China on this outstanding achievement. Today China is a winter sport country," Bach said.

The campaign also promoted the development of winter sports industry in China.

"The income from winter sport in China exceeded roughly $61 billion in the last season. In 2019, more than 100 million tourists visited the Olympic mountain regions alone," Bach said. "By 2025, China's winter sport industry is expected to reach $155 billion in value. From this tremendous growth, the winter sport industry across the globe will greatly benefit because of the high demand for infrastructure, equipment and expertise."

The 2022 Winter Games will also be one of the most green editions of the Winter Olympics thanks to cutting-edge environmentally-friendly technologies used in the venues and on other fronts.

"Beijing 2022 is also showcasing solutions for a more sustainable future. From re-using venues from the Olympic Games 2008; to powering all Beijing 2022 venues with renewable energy; to minimizing environmental impacts and reducing carbon emissions – all these initiatives underline the commitment of Beijing 2022 to contribute to the sustainable development in China."

The world has been battling COVID-19 since 2019 and there have been multiple waves of the pandemic. However, China beat all the difficulties caused by the coronavirus to make the Winter Games happen and has prepared reliable countermeasures to make sure everyone attending Beijing 2022 will be safe.

"There are magnificent Olympic venues for the athletes to shine. There are the highly effective COVID-19 countermeasures in the Playbooks. Thanks to this meticulous preparation with the well-known Chinese efficiency and dynamism, the athletes are enjoying excellent and safe conditions. Thanks to this, they can fully concentrate on making their Olympic dream come true," Bach said.

"Over the next two weeks, the best winter sport athletes of the world will be fierce rivals on the fields of play. They will engage in intense competition for the highest prize, while at the same time living peacefully and respectfully together. In this way, the athletes will show how the world would look like, if we all respect the same rules and each other."