For the first time all 45 members of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) will take part in the upcoming Winter Asian Games in Changchun, China, organizers said on Wednesday.

This is the first time that all the OCA members will compete together in the history of the Winter Asian Games, said Yin Weiping, the deputy director of Publicity Department with the Organizing Committee of the Games.

The International Department of the Organizing Committee has finished the online registration of 7,495 people from all the 45 OCA members.

To date, a total of 1,099 athletes have registered for the Games, including 796 athletes for ice sports and 303 athletes for snow sports. In terms of the number of the athletes, Japan ranks the top with 218, followed by China with 215, Kazakhstan with 171 and South Korea 141. The registration is still ongoing.

Among the 45 countries and regions, 27 will participate in active competition with 18 others being present at the games. The members of the organizing committees of the 5th Asian Winter Games from Japan and the 7th edition from Kazakhstan will also be in attendance.

Delegations from Canada, Russia and Iran, as well as Changchun’s sister cities will also be invited for the Games.

The carnival of all the OCA members in the 6th Winter Asian Games will create a good worldwide image of China before the 2008 Olympic Games, and also contribute to the enhancement of the international influence of both Changchun and China as a whole, said Yin.

The 6th Winter Asian Games will be launched in Changchun on Jan. 28 and last for eight days.

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2007)