IOC vice-prez in Japan for Games

Tokyo (Japan), June 15: International Olympic Committee vice-president John Coates arrived in Japan on Tuesday, as organisers ramp up final preparations with just over five weeks until the pandemic-postponed Games open.

Ahead of his arrival, several dozen people protested against the Games in Tokyo, though recent opinion polls suggest public opposition may be weakening.

Later Tuesday, organisers will release the final version of their virus countermeasures for athletes in a so-called “playbook” that they say will keep the event safe.

They have already announced measures including daily testing for athletes and GPS tracking of journalists coming from abroad, in an attempt to reassure a sceptical public.

National polls have regularly shown most people in Japan oppose holding the Games this summer, preferring either a postponement or cancellation.

But with the first foreign athletes already in the country and Olympic officials arriving, there is some evidence that opposition may be declining.

“I hope they will hold the Games with spectators,” 54-year-old Michiyo Saito said in Ota City, north of Tokyo, which is hosting Australia’s softball team ahead of the Games.

Several hundred residents turned out Tuesday to watch the team train.

“They came from very far away, so I wanted to support them in any small way I can. I am scared of the Coronavirus. But as they seem to have anti-virus measures in place, I thought it would be OK,” Saito said.