A ruling on Russia's participation at the 2018 Winter Olympics will be made "in December," the IOC said. Seventeen national anti-doping organizations "demanded Russia be banned from the Games," pointing to the McLaren Report's conclusions on state-sponsored doping in the country. The IOC is "yet to decide on sanctions, but Russia is already banned from the 2018 Winter Paralympics" (BBC, 10/28).
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Organizing Committee announced Earth Chemical Co., Ltd. as an official partner, the second domestic tier of the Tokyo 2020 sponsorship program. The company has been attributed the "Pesticides, Repellents, Fertilizers, Soil for Seed Planting and Herbicides, for Household Use" category. It brings the total number of domestic partners to 44, including 29 official partners (Tokyo 2020).
The IOC is "exploring the possibility of including esports in future Games." The Olympic governing body said that esports "can provide a platform for engagement with the Olympic movement." However, to be included, the content "must not infringe on the Olympic values" (BBC, 10/28).
Local organizers of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympics announced Saturday they have "so far sold more than 9,000 tickets domestically," refuting earlier data released by a lawmaker who said that only 0.2% of available tickets were purchased in South Korea. The 9,401 tickets that have been purchased equate to 4.3% of "tickets up for sale" (YONHAP, 10/29).
