India hockey base scraps visit

TOKYO: Hundreds of Japanese towns and cities have been forced to rethink plans to host Olympic teams because Covid-19 will prevent public appearances and require costly safety measures. The western town of Okuizumo spent more than $5 million preparing to welcome India’s hockey team for a pre-Games training camp, only to scrap the visit. After sinking money into upgrading sports facilities, Okuizomo balked when it became clear it would have to provide bubble-like biosecurity measures with regular virus tests and medical care.