Sapporo to bid for 2026 Winter Olympics

IANS
Sapporo

Tokyo, Nov 27 (IANS)

The Japanese city of Sapporo announced Thursday that it would bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Sapporo hosted the 1972 Winter Games while Japan also hosted the 1998 edition in Nagano. "It is the best possible opportunity for many of our citizens to share a dream and combine their efforts toward a big goal," Fumio Ueda, the city's mayor told assembly members.

A recent survey showed about two thirds of Sapporo residents are backing the idea to host the Olympics.

The city, which regularly hosts World Cup ski jumping, estimates the event would cost 405 billion yen (S$4.5 billion), the official said. The bid will need to be endorsed domestically before the Japanese Olympic Committee can submit it to the International Olympic Committee in 2017, officials and local media said.

The IOC is expected to pick a host city in 2019.

Since Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Games, local and national managers have played up the opportunity they say it offers to revitalise the economy.

The next Winter Olympics will be held in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

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Edited by Staff Editor