The Tokyo Games organizing committee said Wednesday it would hold a secondary lottery for a number of tickets that have already been sold to cut attendance to comply with the newly set limits on spectator capacity.
A total of 95 games and sessions in soccer, athletics, baseball, golf, rugby, surfing, softball and modern pentathlon, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies, will be subject to the lottery, as the number of tickets already sold exceeds capacity limits at the venues.
To prevent the spread of the virus, the committee has decided to limit the number of spectators to the lesser of 10,000 or 50% of venue capacity.
The results of the lottery will be posted on committee's official website on July 6.
The cost of tickets for those who lose out in the lottery will be refunded after the Games.
Instead of having an official sale, in which ticket holders can resell their tickets at a fixed price, the committee will solicit refunds from July 6 until the morning of July 15 from those who wish to be reimbursed.
Among the 95 games/sessions, soccer features an Olympic-high 30 matches, with the largest number of tickets -- more than 40,000 -- that have already been sold for the Aug. 7 men's final at International Stadium Yokohama.
Meanwhile, all athletics events, baseball games, and golf and surfing sessions are subject to the lottery. Those excluded from the drawing are high-priced tickets that include meals with the price of admission, as well as tickets from travel agencies that the committee OK'd for Olympic packages.
There could be adjustments to the schedule for night events once the lottery is completed.
Saitama Super Arena in Saitama Prefecture is scheduled to host several basketball games starting at 9 p.m.
In addition, a number of matches in the wrestling competition at Makuhari Messe Hall in Chiba Prefecture could end at about 10 p.m.
In terms of Japan's professional baseball leagues, all 12 teams have decided not to play more than nine innings in this season and have even bumped up starting times at some stadiums.
Governors in Saitama and Chiba prefectures have called for spectators to be denied entry to events that run later than 9 p.m., and a committee official told The Yomiuri Shimbun, "Night competitions might start earlier than scheduled, depending on the events or venues."
There are also many pending issues concerning guidelines on COVID-19 control during the Games.
When asked at Wednesday's press conference how to set guidelines for marathons and other events held along public roads, committee Director General Toshiro Muto had only this to say: "We want to have a thorough exchange of opinions with local governments to create guidelines."
Alcohol consumption at venues has also been banned, but experts have pointed out that an increasing number of people in public would be a factor in spreading the virus.
The guidelines urge spectators to go directly home after attending competitions. A reporter asked about the effectiveness of the plans at the press conference, and a committee spokesperson said: "It's difficult to issue direct measures. We have to rely on the self-control of individuals."
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
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