Sapporo to scrap 2030 bid, aiming for later Games - media

TOKYO : The Japanese city of Sapporo has decided to give up its bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics and aim to host the Games in 2034 or later, public broadcaster NHK said on Friday, following the fallout of a bribery scandal connected to the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Sapporo mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto is expected to meet Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) President Yasuhiro Yamashita as early as next week to inform him of the plan, NHK reported.

The city said it could not confirm the report.

"We are aware of the media reports, but there is nothing we can say now," a Sapporo city official told Reuters, adding that the city was in discussions with the JOC regarding the bid.

Among those vying to hold the 2030 Games are Salt Lake City in the United States, Sweden, Switzerland and France.

Japanese media reported late last year that Sapporo and the JOC would hit pause on active promotion of the city's bid amid a widening corruption scandal over the Tokyo Games that has led to several arrests.