‘ Natural disasters a warning for Japan’
Tokyo, Sept. 12: An IOC inspector working on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics said on Wednesday that a powerful typhoon and a deadly earthquake that hit Japan in the last 10 days have been a wake- up call for organisers.
The most powerful typhoon in 25 years left 11 dead in the Osaka area of western Japan when it struck September 4. A few days later, a deadly earthquake hit the northern island of Hokkaido and killed about 40.
John Coates, an Australian who heads the inspection team, said what happened “has hit home to me.” Coates helped organise the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He said organisers there simulated disasters.
“You don’t have to dream anything up in this country,” he added. “It’s very sad to say.” He said disaster preparation “is being factored” into the planning.
The other uncontrollable problem could be Tokyo’s searing heat, which set records this summer with temperatures soaring regularly over 38 degrees C ( 100 degrees F).
Coates, an
The most powerful typhoon in 25 years left 11 dead in Osaka when it struck on September 4. A few days later, a deadly earthquake hit the northern island of Hokkaido and killed about 40.
● International Olympic Committee member, said that body favored going onto daylight saving time.
“It does seem a very good solution to us,” Coates said.
Yoshiro Mori, a former Japanese prime minister and head of the local organizing committee, has asked the Japanese government to consider moving the clocks forward. Japan does not change its clocks as many countries do.
Mori has turned down suggestions of switching the games to October when temperatures are cooler. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were held in October. Organisers also confirmed what was long known: the swim finals will be held in the morning, as they were in Beijing in 2008. This is primarily to accommodate the American broadcaster NBC, which will telecast the finals live during evening viewing hours in North America. There is some local resentment of scheduling events to accommodate foreign broadcasters.
“It’s in the morning, but it's 10: 30 or 11. That’s not abnormal hours,” said Koji Murofushi, a former Olympic medalist in the hammer throw, who is the
games sports director. Seoul, Sept. 12: South Korea plans to propose a joint hosting of the 2032 Summer Olympics with North Korea at next week’s summit in Pyongyang, sports minister Do Jong- hwan said Wednesday, according to a Yonhap report.
Do will make the proposal when he accompanies President Moon Jae- in to the North Korean capital for a third summit with Kim Jong Un from Tuesday, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said.
“I plan to make this proposal to the North for the settlement of peace” on the Korean peninsula, he was quoted as telling journalists in Tokyo.
“Seoul and Pyongyang would co- host the games”, he said.
The two Koreas discussed the co- hosting of the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics but negotiations fell apart over differences on how to share the events.
North and South Korea formed their first- ever unified Olympic team — a joint women’s ice hockey squad — for February’s winter games in the South Korean resort of Pyeongchang, leading to a diplomatic thaw.
Olympics chief Thomas Bach said this month he was open to talks with the two Koreas about marching and competing together at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
Bach was speaking at the Asian Games in Indonesia, where the two Koreas paraded together at the opening ceremony and formed unified teams for the second time this year.
In this way, we could maintain the current momentum for peace and expand peace on the Korean peninsula to the whole region — DO JONGHWAN