The second Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Snow Football Tournament has commenced in Harbin, the administrative center of Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China.

The competitions are being held from March 1st to 5th, 2025, at the Ice Sports Palace, featuring teams from SCO member states – India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Mongolia. The teams are divided into two groups, and a total of 16 matches will be played over the five days.

The tournament also includes planned cultural events, making it not only a sporting but also a cultural occasion.

This tournament is a continuation of the inaugural event held in 2024, underscoring the growing interest in winter sports within the region. It is anticipated that the tournament will attract attention from both local residents and tourists.

In his welcoming address at the opening ceremony, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Batyr Tursunov, noted that the tournament will make a significant contribution to popularizing the sporting traditions of SCO countries and will serve as another step in the development of people-to-people diplomacy within the Organization's space.

ORIENT news