IOC offers Tokyo medical help amid call for cancellation

Tokyo, May 19: Confronted in Japan with some of the strongest medical-community opposition yet to the Tokyo Olympics, IOC President Thomas Bach offered on Wednesday to have added medical personnel available to help out when the games open in just over nine weeks.

Bach gave few details, speaking remotely at the opening of three days of meetings between the International Olympic Committee and local organisers. He said the help would come from various national Olympic committees and be available in the Olympic village and sports venues.

In his 12-minute address, Bach attempted to assure the Japanese public and athletes coming to Tokyo that the IOC will hold “safe and secure” Olympics in the midst of the pandemic.

“For obvious reasons we cannot give them (athletes) every detail yet, but the most important principle is very clear: the Olympic Village is a safe place and the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be organised in a safe way,” Bach said.

Bach said he anticipated more than 80% of those staying in the Olympic Village would be vaccinated. Reports locally say that Japan’s Olympic delegation will begin getting vaccinated in June.

Between 1-2% of Japanese are fully vaccinated, and its unlikely that even the elderly population will be fully vaccinated before the Olympics end on Aug. 8.

Bach appeared to be responding to one of the strongest demands so far to call off the postponed Olympics.

The 6,000-member Tokyo Medical Practitioners’ Association called for the Olympics to be canceled in a letter sent last week to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, Olympic Minister Tamayo Marukawa, and Seiko Hashimoto, the head of the organizing committee.

The letter was made public this week on the group's website.

“We believe the correct choice is to the cancel an event that has the possibility of increasing the numbers of infected people and deaths,” the letter said.

McILROY, THOMAS EXCITED

Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and secondranked Justin Thomas are excited about golfing in the Tokyo Olympics, even with Covid-19 safety protocols limiting them from a normal Games experience.

And even third-ranked Spaniard Jon Rahm, who said the restrictions “don’t make it easy” to choose to play in Tokyo, indicated Tuesday at the PGA Championship he would play and it would be “amazing” to win a gold medal.

All three are ranked in position to qualify easily for the Olympic tournament on July 29-August 1, with Thomas in the top spot after top-ranked Dustin Johnson withdrew from consideration in March.

“I know I’d kick myself forever if I didn't do this,” Thomas said.

World number seven McIlroy is set to play for Ireland despite such issues as not being able to bring his family or see other Olympic events.

“No, it’s certainly not going to be the authentic Olympic experience that you would normally get, but it’s the times that we're living in,” McIlroy said.

“No different than when you go over and play a tournament in Asia anyway. You see the golf course and the hotel and that’s sort of it.”

McIlroy has the chance to do something he has never done before in the world of golf, and that unique opportunity makes it worth it to him.