A bid from Sapporo for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games has moved a step closer ©Getty Images

A bid from Sapporo for the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games has moved a step closer after the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) gave the city formal approval to enter the process for the event.

According to the Japan Times, JOC vice-president Eisuke Hiraoka said the city would announce whether or not it intends to pursue a bid for the 2026 Games by the March 2018 deadline.

The decision from the JOC, taken at a board meeting today, allows Sapporo to enter the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) "streamlined" bidding process for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

It comprises two stages, with the first featuring a one-year dialogue stage between interested cities and National Olympic Committees alongside the IOC.

As part of the non-committal stage, the parties will assess the benefits and requirements related to hosting the Winter Olympics.

The phase will run from September 2017 to October 2018, with the deadline to enter the process coming on March 31.

A decision on the 2026 host will then be made in September 2019 following the end of a shortened formal candidature phase.

It is thought Sapporo are keen to enter the dialogue phase, which will see the city discuss costs and hosting plans with the JOC and IOC.

Interest in the northern Japanese city, located in the Hokkaido Prefecture and which staged the Asian Winter Games earlier this year, has grown in recent months.

Sapporo last hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1972 ©Getty Images
Sapporo last hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1972 ©Getty Images

Their potential bid was then given a boost in October when IOC executive director for the Olympic Games Christophe Dubi claimed to be nonplussed about the potential of having four consecutive editions of the event in Asia, which was considered a major stumbling block for Sapporo.

Pyeongchang in South Korea is due to host the 2018 winter edition in February, with Chinese capital Beijing following in 2022.

Tokyo is set to host the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It had therefore been considered that an Asian candidate will stand a strong chance in 2026.

Dubi's comments suggested that they are now so short of willing candidates that they cannot afford to consider continental rotations.

It came after Innsbruck's bid for 2026 was ended following a failed referendum.

Stockholm in Sweden, Sion in Switzerland and Calgary in Canada are other contenders - but there is no guarantee that any will ultimately materialise.

It was announced earlier this month that a referendum on Sion's bid would be held on June 10 next year.