What gave Beijing an edge in 2022 Olympics decision? ‘Everything is easier in dictatorships’ says world ski chief Gian Franco Kasper

International Ski Federation boss Gian Franco Kasper says of the 2022 winter games that ‘dictators can organise events without asking the people’s permission’

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Gian Franco Kasper, president of the International Ski Federation, waves the FIS flag during the opening ceremony of the FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships in Are, Sweden, on Monday. Photo: EPA

Published: 7:13am, 5 Feb 2019Updated: 8:40am, 5 Feb 2019

International ski chief Gian Franco Kasper suggested on Monday that “everything is easier in dictatorships” in reference to the awarding of the 2022 Winter Olympics to China.

“Dictators can organise events such as this without asking the people’s permission,” the 75-year-old honorary International Olympic Committee member told Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on January 31. Photo: Kyodo

“For us, everything is easier in dictatorships,” the International Ski Federation president asserted.

Beijing, host of the 2008 Summer Olympics, beat Almaty in Kazakhstan for the right to host the 2022 edition, the first Winter Games to be held in China.

Pyeongchang, Tokyo and Beijing signal power shift for Olympics

Kasper, no stranger to controversy, then turned to the question of global warming.

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