Japan to bid for 2026 Asian Games

Published 01/04/2016, 9:32 AM EST

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TOKYO (Reuters) – Undeterred by Tokyo’s chaotic preparations to stage the 2020 Olympic Games, Japan’s Aichi Prefecture will bid to stage the 2026 Asian Games, the region’s governor said on Monday.

Aichi will submit an application to the Japanese Olympic Committee to host the event, Kyodo News reported Hideaki Omura as saying on Monday.

“As it is a big event, we should clarify the situation at first,” Omura told reporters in Nagoya, which is expected to host the bulk of events at the quadrennial multi-sport games.

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Japan have hosted the Asian Games, which features both winter and summer Olympic sports plus a number of events selected by the hosts, twice before with Tokyo staging in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.

But Japan’s reputation as hosts has been hit by problematic preparations for the 2020 Olympic Games, where costs have massively escalated, stadium designs scrapped and construction delay amid public outcry.

Japan’s first-ever staging of the 2019 Rugby World Cup has also caused concerns with construction delays forcing a change in venue for the tournament final.

The Olympic Council of Asia will decide upon the hosts of the 2026 Asian Games in 2018. Jakarta will host the next edition in 2018 and Hangzhou, China four years later.

(Writing by Patrick Johnston in Singapore; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

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