The International Olympic Committee's decision on a host for the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics has been delayed until at least September 2023.
British Columbia is among the regions laying plans to launch an official hosting bid. Sapporo, Japan and Salt Lake City, Utah are also preparing bids. All three cities previously hosted a Winter Games.
The postponement of the decision is just one fallout after Indian Olympic officials were given a final warning by the IOC on Thursday and told their hosting of the organization's annual meeting in Mumbai next year was postponed and could yet be cancelled.
The International Olympic Committee cited "ongoing internal disputes, governance shortcomings and ongoing court cases" including a failure by India's Olympic body to hold scheduled elections last December.
Confirming the host for 2023 is one of the key decisions intended to be taken at the so-called Session, an annual meeting of about 100 individual members including Indian billionaire Nita Ambani which was due to be held in Mumbai next May. The IOC said it is now postponed until at least September.
The meeting, to be held in a conference centre owned by the Ambani family, has been intended to showcase India's Olympic ambitions including aiming to host the Summer Games in 2036.
The executive board tasked with ultimately choosing the 2030 host in the new bidding process was set to pick regions with which to enter "targeted dialogue" in December, essentially turning the bids official. However, that deadline may now be delayed too.
The postponement of the decision, then, could play in the Indigenous-led B.C. bid's favour, gifting it more time to rally resources.
However, it's not the only bid facing issues. Sapporo is currently
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