Fireworks illuminate the night sky during the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at the National Stadium in Beijing, capital of China on February 4 (XINHUA)

Welcoming the world of winter sport to the vibrant Chinese capital Beijing, President Xi Jinping acknowledged the tremendous effort of the International Olympic Committee officials, administrators and executives under the presidency of Thomas Bach. President Xi praised the athletes for their commitment and passion for the games and said the state-of-the-art facilities and the organization of the event should encourage them to reach higher, go faster and be stronger.

At the opening of the 24th edition of the Winter Olympics, Bach wished the people a happy Year of the Tiger as the Chinese Spring Festival celebrations began.

This extraordinary achievement opens a new era for global winter sport. Well over 300 million people are engaged in winter sports in about 2,000 ski resorts and ice rinks.

Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, and Abdulla Shahid, President of the UN General Assembly, were among the dignitaries present at the opening ceremony in Beijing on February 4. Welcome meetings between February 4 and 6 hosted more than 30 heads of state, government, royal families and international organizations. President Xi also attended a host of bilateral events and meetings during this period.

Xi called for nations to jointly uphold world peace, to meet common challenges facing the international community in a spirit of solidarity and to continuously pursue human progress.

The tiger is a symbol of strength, courage and fearlessness. Organizing this Olympics and Paralympics in the challenging times over the past two years is commendable beyond measure. What is even more impressive is the determination to make progress while attending to environmental protection and greening the event, focusing on health and wellness.

(The author is director of the Diplomatic Society of South Africa)