Page 32 - bon-dia-aruba-20210114

A32 sports
Diahuebs 14 Januari 2021

To cancel or not?: IOC, Japan press ahead with Tokyo Games

(AP) — Prime Minister cinated, but has said athletes
Yoshihide Suga declared should not be a priority. He
a state of emergency last also said vaccines are not re-
week for Tokyo and sur- quired for athletes.
rounding areas. Amid the
surging virus, he again Pound also told the Washing-
promised the postponed ton Post the odds were about
Tokyo Olympics would be “3-to-1” the games would
“safe and secure” and tried take place.
to disconnect the state of
emergency from the fate The IOC needs an uplifting
of the games. Olympics after scandals in
Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and
But opposition to the Olym- Sochi in 2014. Tokyo billed
pics is growing with calls itself as a “safe pair of hands”
mounting for a cancellation. when it won the bid in 2013,
The International Olympic but has been tainted by a brib-
Committee and local orga- ery scandal that forced the
nizers have already said an- resignation of IOC member
other postponement is im- Tsunekazu Takeda, who was
possible, leaving cancellation also president of the Japanese
— or opening on July 23 — Olympic Committee.
as the only options.
Furthermore, Beijing's hu-
Two polls published in the man rights record has wors-
last few days by the Japanese ened despite promises lead-
news agency Kyodo and Japa- ing up to the 2008 Olympics.
nese broadcaster TBS show extended beyond Feb. 7 and Hamada said the state of Now the 2022 Beijing Winter
that just over 80% want the to other parts of the country. For the Switzerland-based emergency changed the land- Games are darkened by the
Olympics canceled or post- This could further embold- IOC, it’s a question of stabi- scape from a month ago, or internment and forced labor
poned, or believe they will en skeptics and imperil the lizing its shaky income, 73% from November when Bach of at least 1 million Muslim
not take place. The negative games. of which comes from selling visited Tokyo and spoke Uighurs in northwestern
responses are up 15 to 20 broadcast rights — getting about his “toolbox” of mea- China.
percentage points from polls Organizers have promised the Olympics on television. sures to combat the virus.
published just last month. strict “anti-virus” measures Another 18% is from spon- Hamada believes “regular “I think it highly likely that
to pull off the Olympics. sorships. Japanese” will not start re- China will frame the Winter
“The Japanese public are Here's what they face — vac- ceiving the vaccine until May. Games ... in terms of China’s
already more and more in- cine or no vaccine. American broadcaster NBC successful model of pandem-
clined to oppose the hosting will pay more than $1 billion He said a “bubble method" ic management and global
of the Olympics this summer, They must bring 15,400 for the Tokyo rights, and its once seemed feasible. The health leadership,” Sheena
and the state of emergency Olympic and Paralympic ath- payments over a four-year NBA and NHL were suc- Greitens, who teaches Asian
reinforces the perception that letes, from more than 200 Olympic cycle — including cessful playing in “bubbles.” politics at the University of
it is a lost cause,” Koichi Na- nations and territories, safely the Winter Games — account But the Olympics would re- Texas, said in an email. "I
kano, who teaches politics at into Tokyo and still protect for about 40% of the total quire dozens of “bubbles” would think that Japanese
Tokyo’s Sophia University, Japanese citizens. Add to this, IOC's income. dropped over a metropolitan leaders would be keen to ex-
said in an email to The Asso- tens of thousands of judges, area of 35 million. ercise their leadership and
ciated Press. coaches, officials, VIPs, spon- Unlike the NBA, English burnish their image globally
sors, volunteers, media and soccer or other sports busi- “Now with the state of emer- — especially if it can be pre-
As a fearful public asks to call broadcasters. And hundreds nesses, the IOC has only two gency declared, the situation sented as leading the way into
off the Tokyo Games, it faces of thousands of fans — per- major events — the Summer has changed,“ Hamada said. some kind of post-COVID
the reality of Olympic fi- haps some from abroad — if and Winter Olympics. Doz- “Holding the Olympics has era.”
nances, geopolitics, and face- any are allowed to attend. ens of international sports become more difficult com-
saving. federations and many of the pared to the situation late last John Horne, who co-au-
Organizers have speculated 200 national Olympic com- year.” thored the book “Under-
Japanese taxpayers have sunk about myriad measures to mittees live off the IOC in- standing the Olympics”
billions into the Olympics, counter the virus, but firm come. Japan, with a population of and teaches the sociology of
the IOC lives off the televi- answers probably must come 126 million, has handled the sports at Waseda University
sion money and has seen its by March 25 when the torch IOC President Thomas Bach virus better than most coun- in Tokyo, said a cancellation
income stalled by the post- relay with 10,000 runners has described pulling off the tries with about 4,000 deaths was possible.
ponement, and China is begins crisscrossing Japan, Olympics as a “mammoth attributed to COVID-19.
waiting in the wings to hold headed to Tokyo and the task” and acknowledged fi- Last week, more than 20,000 “That isn’t something at the
the Beijing Winter Games in opening ceremony. nances are under stress. “socially distanced” fans at- moment we can really imag-
13 months if Japan stumbles. tended the final of the na- ine, and it’s often denied by
It was also in late March last Dr. Atsuo Hamada, an in- tional soccer championship the organizers, but it’s got to
“Japan’s standing in Asia and year when the Olympics were fectious disease specialist at at the new $1.4 billion na- be one possibility,” Horne
in the world matters a great postponed after organizers Tokyo Medical University tional stadium. told the AP.
deal, particularly in view of insisted they would happen. Hospital, said the Olympics
its rivalry with China,“ Na- could bring “pride and lega- In interviews last week, IOC “There is a whole series of
kano said. “It would be a For Japan, hosting the Olym- cy” and possibly short-term senior member Richard reasons why the Japanese
nightmare for them (Japan’s pics has to do with justifying economic benefits — but also Pound said that making ath- hosts don’t want to give up
political leadership) if Japan at least $25 billion in “sunk the virus. letes a priority for vaccination the possibility of providing
fails to be the host of the first costs,“ satisfying domestic would be “the most realistic an opportunity to show the
‘post-COVID’ Olympics and sponsors who have pumped “The games may be one fac- way of it (Olympics) going world coming together," he
the title goes to China.” a record of $3.5 billion into tor that could contribute to ahead.“ added. “Of course, there are
the games driven by giant the risk of rising infections,” all sorts of problems with
Nakano said the government ad agency Dentsu, and gain- he said in an interview with That appeared to contradict bringing the world together
wanted to avoid the emer- ing in the geopolitical contest the AP. Bach, who has encouraged at this time, not least the
gency order, which could be with neighboring China. “all participants” to be vac- transmission of the virus.”