Olympics: JOC gives Sapporo go-ahead to bid for 2026 winter games

The Japanese Olympic Committee gave Sapporo formal approval to take part in the bidding process for the 2026 Winter Olympics at a board meeting on Wednesday.The city in Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido plans to announce its intention to bid before the deadline at the end of March 2018, said JOC Vice President Eisuke Hiraoka.In a new procedure introduced by the International Olympic Committee for the 2026 games, interested host cities take part in a dialogue stage, where they explore the benefits and opportunities of hosting the games, before moving on to submit their candidature…READ FULL ARTICLE