TOKYO, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) — The northern Japanese metropolis of Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido Prefecture, has determined to surrender its bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics, native media reported on Friday citing sources near the matter.
Sapporo, which in 2014 introduced its bid to host the Winter Olympics, on Tuesday introduced revised plans for operating the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The resolution was made amid rising public mistrust over the bribery and bid-rigging scandals linked to the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2021.
“However, Sapporo officials apparently decided that the city would need more time to gain understanding of its residents for hosting the sports extravaganza,” Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported on Friday.
Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto stated he’ll meet with Japanese Olympic Committee President Yasuhiro Yamashita in Tokyo as early as Oct. 11 to debate the plans, in response to the paper.
Sapporo, which hosted the video games in 1972, was as soon as thought of the front-runner to host the Winter Olympics for a second time, however the International Olympic Committee seems to have shifted its focus to different candidates after the scandals linked to the Tokyo Games, the report added.