Doubts linger on future of Games

Tokyo, July 9: The spokesman for the Tokyo Olympics expects the postponed Games to go ahead in 2021 despite a recent poll in Japan in which 77 per cent of respondents said they did not believe the Games could be held next year. The poll by the Japan News Network said only 17 per cent thought it could be held next year in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Masa Takaya, the spokesman, was speaking on remote hookup on a day of contentious news for the Tokyo Olympics.

Tokyo’s city government reported a single-day record of 224 new Coronavirus infections on Thursday, surpassing a high of 204 in April. Though low by many standards, it marks a steady increase over the last week in the Japanese capital. Japan has recorded about 1,000 deaths attributed to Covid-19.

Takaya said, “the way the polls are constructed may result in very different messages. Tokyo’s only plan was to open the Games on July 23, 2021”.

Also, Takaya did not flatly deny a leaked report in almost all Japanese media that said organisers were on track to secure all venues for next year’s Olympics.

“Tokyo 2020 is aware of these media reports,”

The way the polls are constructed may result in very different messages. Tokyo’s only plan was to open the Games on July 23, 2021.

— MASA TAKAYA spokesperson for the Tokyo Olympics

Takaya said. Details of any progress are sure to be presented next week at scheduled meetings of the Swissbased International Olympic Committee.

Organisers had previously said that 80 per cent of the venues had been secured. Few expect local venue owners to defy the Japanese government, or the IOC, particularly if there are incentives in the new contracts.

Estimates in Japan put the cost of delay at $2 billion to $6 billion. The IOC and local organisers have not given any estimate.

A poll published last month by Japanese news agency Kyodo and a Tokyo television outlet found that 51.7 per cent did not think the games should be held next year. But 46 per cent wanted to see the rescheduled Olympics go forward.

The IOC and local organisers have ruled out another postponement and said they will be cancelled if they don’t happen in 2021.