With a great pleasure, I am to announce launching of official ASF’s website and to pay a big salute to all the member nations of the Asian Ski Federation and Asian ski family for the auspicious event. This initial version of official ASF’s website would be well supplemented in future continuously in its structure and contents with supportive interest of each member nation through good coordination with ASF’s Secretariat office. Your valuable contribution to the website and good collaboration would be highly appreciated

Since the inauguration of Asian Ski Federation at the time of the 37th FIS Congress at Montreux, Switzerland in May of 1990, ASF has sustained its activities of mutual friendship among ski nations of Asia for development of Asian ski under the supportive umbrella of the FIS all these years. ASF was initiated by 6 countries of Asian ski nations; China, Chinese Taipei, Iran, Japan, South Korea and North Korea, during the Montreux Congress under the initiating roles of Mr. Satoshi Takahashi, Vice President and Mr. Sadahiko Matsui, Director of the Ski Association of Japan respectively, then.

A very simple ASF’s initial charter defined promotion of friendship, exchange of technical information for the development of skiing among Asian ski nations. The purpose of the organization was stated to organize a network of Ski Associations/Federations to exchange information regarding FIS activities and work together for the betterment of ski techniques and the development of all skiing activities, as well as to further the friendship among the Ski Associations/Federations of Asia.

Mr. Satoshi Takahashi, Vice President and Mr. Sadahiko Matsui, Director of Japan became the first President of ASF and Secretary General of ASF respectively at its inauguration in May 1990 during the Montreux Congress and the ASF organized the first Asian Children Alpine Championships in March 1991 at Suzuran Kogen Sukiigyo under control and sponsorship of Aichi Prefecture Ski Association in Japan. This Asian Alpine Ski Championships has continued on since the time for past 26 years, which marks a big history of ASF.

For some first 10 years the Asian Children Alpine Championships barely sustained on because of difficulty of securing organizer for the annual championships with complete undertaking of organizing cost by the organizer and big burden of huge travelling cost of participants by participating member countries across the vast Asian continent. However, since 2000, ASF started to receive substantial financial support from FIS, covering international flight expenses for 4 racers and 1 coach for each participating member country and partial organizing cost for the championships’ organizer. It was under the famous “FIS Aid and Promotion Program”, then, which is now become more expanded “FIS Development Program”.

ASF and member nations, now increased to 16 member countries (China CHN, Hong Kong HKG, India IND, Iran IRI, Japan JPN, Kazakhstan KAZ, Kyrgyzstan KGZ, Korea KOR, Lebanon LBN, Mongolia MGL, Nepal NEP, Pakistan PAK, D.P.R. Korea PRK, Tajikistan TJK, Chinese Taipei TPE, Uzbekistan UZB), deeply appreciate all the support of FIS, rendered to ASF all these years, which has played an indispensable role for sustainable growth of ASF with its weak financial position.

Owing to the FIS support and member nation’s enthusiasm, the 26 years history of the Asian Alpine Ski Championships (Children, Junior, Licensed, now alternating) is the core of ASF’s history which all the ASF’s member countries are proud of and cherish. In this ASF’s website, all the competition records of the championships since 2001 and the minutes of ASF Congress since 1996, which has been biannually held coinciding with the 40th FIS Congress of Christchurch, New Zealand, are well compiled as part of important ASF’s history. Some memorable historical photos in connection with ASF’s alpine championships and congresses are filed as an initial version. The meaningful photos could be continuously supplemented and uploaded in future by ASF secretariat office and through member country’s contribution and participation to the website.

The Winter Olympic of 2018 at PyeongChang, Korea, the Olympic Games of 2020 at Tokyo, Japan and the following Winter Olympic Games of 2022 at Beijing, China; the 3 successive Olympic Games being focused in Asia surely demonstrate unprecedented historical turning momentum for strong development of sports world of Asia in near future.

Particularly, the two consecutive Winter Olympic Games in Korea and China, and the recent 2017 Winter Asian Games, successfully conducted at Hokkaido, Japan, would certainly induce and activate significantly accelerated development of Asian winter sports. All the ASF member countries should plan and utilize all possible opportunities to maximum extent to level up each nation’s ski sports, especially in raising elite group ski competitors during this historical golden period. I am confident that such efforts of all the member countries would contribute directly to future development and sustainable growth of Asian Ski Federation in future.