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Tokyo (AFP)
The Olympic Games, postponed last year due to the pandemic, will take place “at 100%”, assured the president of the Tokyo-2020 organizing committee, Seiko Hashimoto, despite persistent opposition from the Japanese public to 50 days of the event.
In an interview broadcast Thursday by BBC Sport, Ms. Hashimoto said she was convinced that the Olympics will take place as planned, from July 23 to August 8.
“I believe the possibility of these Games happening is 100%, we will do them,” she said.
She also reaffirmed that these Olympics could be the first in history to take place behind closed doors, if the exclusion of local spectators is deemed necessary to prevent infections. The organizers have already decided to ban any public coming from abroad.
“The biggest challenge will be how we can control and manage the flow of people,” she said. “If an epidemic were to occur during the Games, which would amount to a crisis or an emergency, I think we have to be ready to organize these Games without any spectators.”
Ms Hashimoto made the statements as organizers in Tokyo marked the 50 days before the Games on Thursday by unveiling elements of the medal ceremony, including podiums made from recycled plastic, and music that will be played when athletes are crowned.
“We have 50 days left. I feel like I can hear the footsteps of the athletes heading for Tokyo,” Hashimoto said at the ceremony held in Ariake Arena, the one of the Games venues. “We are totally ready thanks to infection prevention measures,” she told the athletes.
“And to make Japan feel safe welcoming you, I ask all of you athletes to be responsible for your actions, to play by the rules.”
– 10,000 volunteers threw in the towel –
A clear majority of Japanese remain opposed to the holding of the Olympics this summer, according to multiple polls.
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Earlier, Ms Hashimoto had claimed that a cancellation of the Games was practically inconceivable at this point. “If various countries around the world are experiencing very serious situations, and delegations from most countries cannot come, then we cannot organize them,” she told Nikkan Sports daily.
“Unless such a situation arises, the Games will not be canceled.”
As a sign of the difficulties faced by the organizers, Tokyo-2020 General Manager Toshiro Muto told local media on Wednesday evening that around 10,000 of the 80,000 volunteers planned for the Olympic and Paralympic Games had thrown in the towel in recent years. months, mainly due to health concerns.
“I think there is no doubt that one of the reasons is the concern over coronavirus infections,” he said.
Others dropped out over scheduling issues after the Games were postponed for a year, or to protest sexist remarks made by Tokyo-2020 President Yoshiro Mori, who was forced to resign in February and was replaced by Seiko Hashimoto.
Mr Muto said the lower number of volunteers – who are generally employed as guides, assistants or translators – would “not seriously” affect the Games, which itself has been reduced in size.
Due to a fourth wave of infections, Tokyo and nine other departments will remain under a state of health emergency until June 20, a month before the Games.
Hashimoto said she felt that Japanese public opinion was changing its mind as the pace of the vaccination campaign in Japan, initially very slow, began to accelerate.
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Japan has been relatively spared, compared to many other countries, with some 13,000 officially recorded deaths since early 2020.
However, just 3% of the population received two doses of the vaccine.
© 2021 AFP
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