Olympic Notes: Sapporo Hoping For JOC Approval To Bid For 2026 Games

Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto paid a call on Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda to "present the northern Japanese city's plans for hosting the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2026." Akimoto said, "We want Sapporo to be an Asian base for winter sports. I asked him to think about Japan's bidding to host the 2026 Olympics." The IOC is "expected to present the bidding procedure for the 2026 Games possibly early next year." The JOC will then "determine whether to enter a Japanese candidate in the formal bidding process" (KYODO, 11/8).

Japan Volleyball Association President Kenji Kimura on Tuesday "vocalized his strong support for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic organizers' original plan to construct a new volleyball venue rather than using an existing one." Kimura was "joined by former Olympians at a press conference in Tokyo." Kimura: "I ask that they build a venue with the minimum required equipment for athletes to gather and be able to perform at their best" (KYODO, 11/8).