TOKYO – IOC President Thomas Bach and local organizers are campaigning against reports that the postponed Olympic Games in Tokyo will be canceled.
The Tokyo Games, which would now begin on July 23, were postponed ten months ago when the coronavirus pandemic broke out, and the event appears to be threatened again.
The Times of London reported on Thursday that the matches would have to be canceled. It quoted an unidentified senior member of the ruling coalition.
“Nobody wants to be the first to say it, but the consensus is that it’s too difficult,” the source said. “Personally, I do not think it will happen.”
In a statement, the local organizing committee did not address The Times’ story directly, but said the Olympics continue and have the support of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
“All our delivery partners, including the National Government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, the IOC and the IPC [International Paralympic Committee] is fully committed to hosting the games this summer, ”reads the statement.
“We hope that daily life can return to normal as soon as possible, and we will continue to do everything we can to prepare for a safe and secure game.”
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a statement that it had not been informed of any change in the status of the summer event.
“The official announcement on the 2020 Tokyo and Paralympic Games comes from the IOC, the Tokyo Organizing Committee and the Japanese government,” the USOPC said. “We have not received any information indicating that the Games will not take place as planned, and our focus remains on the health and readiness of Team USA athletes ahead of the Games this summer.”
The Times of London said Japan hopes to land the 2032 Olympics. The IOC has already awarded the 2024 Olympic Games to Paris and the 2028 version to Los Angeles.
The idea that Tokyo has been waiting a decade seems unlikely, given the cost of maintaining premises, negotiating new leases, and so on. Tokyo has already spent about $ 25 billion to organize these Olympics, most of which is public money.
Several reports of a cancellation began to appear this month when the Japanese government placed Tokyo and other prefectures under a state of emergency to counter a surge in rising COVID-19 cases.
“At the moment, we have no reason to believe that the Tokyo Olympics will not open on July 23 at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium,” Bach told Japanese news agency Kyodo on Thursday. He also said there is “no plan B.”
Senior international member of the International Olympic Committee, Richard Pound, said earlier this week that the Olympics may be held largely without fans, making it a mostly television event.
The IOC in Switzerland derives 73% of its revenue from the sale of broadcasting rights and has seen that the main source of revenue has been halted by the Olympic postponement. A largely TV event would suit the IOC better than a cancellation.
Unlike other sports companies that offer hundreds of games, the IOC has only two main events to sell – the Summer and Winter Olympics.
Bach indicated that radical changes would be needed to reach the Tokyo Olympics, which involve 11,000 athletes and tens of thousands of coaches, officials, judges, VIPs, media and broadcasters.
About 4400 athletes will attend the Paralympic Games, which open on August 24.
“Maybe you do not like it, but sacrifices will be needed,” Bach said. “That’s why I say: safety first, and no taboo in the discussion to ensure safety.”
Japan has reported fewer than 5,000 deaths due to the coronavirus and has handled the virus better than most countries. But the boom is not slowing down in Tokyo, a sprawling 35-million-strong metropolitan area.
Public opinion in Japan also turned against the matches, with 80% saying in several polls that it should be postponed or canceled again.
According to Bach, organizers are in a better position to hold the Olympics than ten months ago when the matches were postponed.
“Let me first be clear that you can not compare March 2021 with March 2020, because there is such great progress in science, medicine, vaccination and [virus] tests, “Bach told Kyodo. All this was not available in March last year. No one yet knew how to really deal with the pandemic, and now we know much more. ‘
Japan is experiencing a slow deployment of vaccines. However, the IOC said the measures against the virus would focus on testing, quarantines, social distance and keeping athletes largely isolated.
It has encouraged athletes to be vaccinated, but it will not be necessary.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.