Tokyo -
The organizers of the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled for this year after being postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, are "unyielding" that they must be held on these new dates, confirmed the CEO of the organizing committee, Toshiro Muto, to AFP.
However, Muto did not rule out the possibility that the Games (July 23 - August 8) could be held without spectators, as the coronavirus continues to affect the world, including Japan.
"The holding of the Games is our inflexible point and, based on that, we do not discuss anything else," said Muto in this interview, highlighting that the possibility of cancellation "is not up for discussion."
Six months before the opening ceremony, the prospect of cancellation is haunting the Tokyo Games in recent weeks.
Faced with record cases of coronavirus, a state of emergency was reinstated this month in a large part of Japan, including Tokyo and its suburbs, as was done in the spring of 2020.
Concerned that the event may worsen the situation, more than 80% of Japanese people are against holding the Games this year, preferring another postponement or cancellation, according to a recent survey.
- According to a poll, 80% of Japanese people want the Olympic Games to be canceled or postponed again.
Last Wednesday, the mayor of Osaka, Ichiro Matsui, advocated for another postponement of the Games, this time to 2024, since it will be "impossible" to complete the vaccination campaign in Japan before the Games in 2021. Japan "should negotiate with the IOC (International Olympic Committee)," he told the press.
Taro Kono, a key minister in the Japanese government, who is now in charge of Administrative and Regulatory Reform and previously held positions in Defense and Foreign Affairs, acknowledged last week that nothing should be ruled out regarding the Games.
On the other hand, Keith Mills, former deputy chairman of the organizing committee for the 2012 London Games, said this Wednesday to the BBC that it is "unlikely" that the Tokyo Games can be held this year.
"Obviously, the conditions to be imposed will be very important," admitted the CEO of Tokyo 2020, "and it is obvious that we need the understanding and support of the population. We want to prepare for the Games based on these principles."
"The health situation in Japan and worldwide is very serious, and it is normal for many people to be nervous," Muto added.
Nevertheless, the director of the organizing committee believes that if vaccination campaigns progress and the number of infections decreases, public opinion will change.
In Japan, injections could start before the end of February, but they should not be extended to the entire population before May, according to several local media outlets.
Muto reiterated that the Japanese organizers and the IOC officials "have not discussed the possibility" of making the vaccine mandatory for athletes and spectators at the Games.
The excitement "will not change"
Many questions, however, remain uncertain, as Japanese borders are currently closed to foreign visitors, and large events are limited to 50% of their capacity, with a maximum limit of 5,000 people.
A decision on the number of spectators allowed for the Games will be made in the coming months.
"It is not desirable to have no fans" in the stands, Muto insisted, but he cannot currently guarantee the presence of spectators, especially those from abroad: "I cannot make predictions."
The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee announced a set of measures in December to address the coronavirus, in order to allow the event to take place safely this year, even if the vaccine is not widely available and the pandemic is not under control by then.
- Tokyo governor rules out cancellation of the Olympic Games.
The implementation of these measures is "the biggest challenge" for the organizers, Muto estimated.
The leader acknowledged that some of these rules, such as the prohibition for fans to shout, will give the Tokyo Games an unprecedented atmosphere.
"The excitement that spectators will feel watching the action will not change," Muto noted. "As long as there is sport, there will be excitement," he emphasized.
Muto recognized that it is very unlikely that the pandemic will be fully controlled in the near future, but "that is precisely why we must remember the Olympic values," especially "the peaceful coexistence of men through sports."
"If we manage to organize an event the size of the Olympic Games in the midst of a pandemic, then the Tokyo model will be part of our legacy," he concluded. (D)