Japan would 'scrap' Games if not held next year: Tokyo 2020's Mori
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[April 28, 2020]
TOKYO (Reuters) - Tokyo 2020
president Yoshiro Mori said that the Olympic Games, already postponed to
2021, would be "scrapped" if they could not take place then, according
to an interview published on Tuesday.
The International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government last
month postponed the Games until July 2021 because of the impact of the
coronavirus outbreak.
With the epidemic's worldwide infection rate climbing and experts
suggesting a vaccine is still a long way off, questions are being asked
about whether the huge setpiece event might need to be delayed further.
"No. In that case, the Olympics will be scrapped," Mori said in the
interview with Japanese sports daily Nikkan Sports, when asked if the
Games could be postponed again until 2022.
However the former prime minister remained confident the they would go
ahead in 2021.
"We have delayed the Olympics until next summer after we will have won
the battle," he was quoted as saying.
"The Olympics would be much more valuable than any Olympics in the past
if we could go ahead with it after winning this battle. We have to
believe this otherwise our hard work and efforts will not be rewarded."
Asked about Mori's comments, Tokyo 2020 spokesman Masa Takaya emphasised
organisers were focusing on next year.
"New dates for the Tokyo 2020 Games have been set and our mission is to
deliver the Games next year," he told a news briefing.
Mori "mentioned this comment in his own thoughts," Takaya added.
During the interview, Mori also suggested the Olympics and Paralympics
might share opening and closing ceremonies instead of holding their
usual separate ones.
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Tokyo 2020 Olympics President Yoshiro Mori holds the Olympic Flame
during a ceremony at Japan Air Self-Defense Force Matsushima Base in
Higashi-Matsuhsima, Miyagi prefecture, northern Japan March 20,
2020. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo
Mori said this would cut costs, though the idea is further
complicated by tickets already being sold for all four ceremonies.
Takaya said that this option had been mentioned but that no concrete
plans had been made.
"(But) ... due to the impact of coronavirus, the situation next year
will be completely different," he said. "(So) ...we have to review
key areas, including the ceremonies."
Tokyo 2020 and the IOC are still assessing how much rearranging the
Games will cost.
The budget was set at $12.6 billion before the postponement and
Japanese media reports have said the delay may add a further 300
billion yen ($2.8 billion).
Takaya said extra costs were still being finalised, adding that
organisers had never mentioned "this concrete number of 300 billion
yen."
There have been more than 3 million documented coronavirus cases
globally, with more than 210,000 deaths.
(Reporting by Jack Tarrant and Junko Fujita; editing by John
Stonestreet)
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