With the Tokyo Olympics pushed back to 2021, organizers are looking at options to slim down the Games and contain rising costs and lingering risk from the coronavirus.
Photo: issei kato/ReutersTOKYO—Japan is looking at options to slim down next year’s Olympics, Tokyo’s governor said, as it tries to ensure the Games stay on track despite rising costs and the lingering threat from the coronavirus.
Possibilities include reducing participant numbers at the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as cutting down on spectators, major Japanese media reported, although a spokesman for the local organizing committee said there haven’t been discussions on limiting fans.
Just more than two months since the decision was made to push back the 2020 Games to next year, organizers have reported little progress in confirming new plans. Preparation has been hampered by the spread of the coronavirus, which forced Japan to impose a state of emergency in April and May.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he wants the Games to be held in their “complete form” and ruled out any further delay, pressuring organizers to come up with a formula for an event with the best chance of going ahead.
On Thursday, Japan’s largest newspaper by circulation, the Yomiuri, reported that government and organizers were looking at several options, including requiring all spectators, athletes and officials to take a coronavirus test, in addition to keeping athletes inside the Olympic Village.
Other major media followed with similar reports, including possible cutbacks on people at the opening and closing ceremonies, in addition to fewer spectators.
What the Postponement of the Olympics Means for Athletes
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike confirmed discussions were under way without giving details.
“To gain the understanding of Tokyo residents and the Japanese people we should rationalize and simplify the Games where necessary,” she said.
A spokesman for the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee said all those involved in planning the Games were discussing the impact of the postponement, but declined to provide further details.
The spokesman, Masa Takaya, said decisions on how to manage the impact of the coronavirus on the Olympics would come only after in-depth discussions in the fall, when the outlook for the virus might be clearer. He said that would include possible adjustments to seating at Olympic events, which he said haven’t been discussed.
“This is something the general public and ticket holders may be concerned about. We want to brush away those concerns,” he said.
Ticket demand for the Tokyo Olympics was exceptionally high before the coronavirus outbreak, both in Japan and world-wide.
While the organizers have been for the most part tight-lipped, Tokyo 2020 Chief Executive Toshiro Muto said in mid-May that most aspects of the Games were being reviewed, both to contain costs and to help the Games navigate coronavirus challenges.
“This may not be like any other Games in the past. We might come up with a new Olympic and Paralympic paradigm that can be a legacy of Tokyo,” he said.
Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori has highlighted the Olympic ceremonies as possible areas for changes. The opening and closing galas usually involve large stadiums packed with athletes, performers and spectators, which would potentially be one of the biggest risks for spreading the virus.
Local organizers are also facing a bill that may reach several billion dollars on top of the original budget because of the delay, and are eager to reduce costs. The International Olympic Committee has said it would contribute up to $650 million toward the additional running costs of the Games. But host city Tokyo may also have to shoulder a large slice of the extra costs.
Write to Alastair Gale at alastair.gale@wsj.com
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
"control" - Google News
June 04, 2020 at 07:10PM
https://ift.tt/2U6V1Aj
Challenges for Tokyo Olympics: Curtail Costs, Control Coronavirus - The Wall Street Journal
"control" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3bY2j0m
https://ift.tt/2KQD83I
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Challenges for Tokyo Olympics: Curtail Costs, Control Coronavirus - The Wall Street Journal"
Post a Comment