ASTANA, Kazakhstan (Kyodo) The Olympic Council of Asia said Monday that the Hokkaido cities of Sapporo and Obihiro will cohost the 2017 Asian Winter Games.

The OCA General Assembly approved them as there were no other candidates.

Japanese Olympic Committee President Tsunekazu Takeda signed a hosting contract for the eighth Asian Winter Games in place of the cities' representatives.

Sapporo hosted the first two editions of the Asian Winter Games in 1986 and 1990. Aomori staged the fifth edition in 2003.