Herculean task
Re-organising Olympics big headache, says former IOC marketing head
THOMAS BACH and the IOC should not be criticised for procrastination over the Tokyo Olympics as re-organising them is “mind bogglingly complex”, the movement’s former head of marketing Michael Payne told AFP.
Payne said yesterday the IOC could have unilaterally cancelled the Games because of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Payne believes that was never an option given Bach’s experience as a sportsman of missing out on the 1980 Moscow Olympics due to a boycott by Western nations in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Payne said behind the scenes the IOC have been moving towards a postponement for a while.
“It is mind-boggling complex to make a sudden change after seven years of preparation for the biggest sporting event in the world,” he told AFP in a phone interview.
“The IOC have been with increasing urgency looking to fall back on Plan B. The IOC remit allows them legally to cancel the Games unilaterally.
“Cancelling the Games though is not an option so to postpone the Games, you have to have your delivery partner (Japan) on board.”
Payne said Japan would take its time to decide as until recently the local organisers had been enthusiastic about maintaining the Games in their scheduled slot.
“The Japanese have been holding out in the hope it might still be possible to hold the
Games in
July,” he said.
“The cost to the Japanese of postponing them is loss of face and political capital to (Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo) Abe as this is very much his project.
“In the last few days Japan have been very up for them to go ahead but the problem is the rest of the world cannot get
there.” Payne said the Japanese reluctance to contemplate postponement has left Bach with “one arm tied behind his back.”
However, with Australia and Canada now calling for a delay to next year even the option of delaying by a few months looks unlikely.
“The Japanese message is maybe hoping for postponing to later in the year but would this solve uncertainty?” Payne asked.
“The last thing you want is a dark cloud hanging over the Games, as in ‘is it going to happen?.’
“Various teams now saying they want it postponed till 2021 helps the IOC’s hand with the Japanese and saying ‘October will not work.’”
Payne said Abe would consider a Games in 2021 as a enormous consolation prize given the grave circumstances.
“As difficult as that could be to Abe to postpone to 2021 I believe Japan could host the greatest Games ever,” he said.
“The DNA of the Olympic Games after all is a celebration and humanity coming together.
“Next year the Japanese can celebrate by saying we have come through this so it would be huge for Abe.
“Summer 2021 is the best option -- indeed the only option.”