All possible measures are urged to realize a global sports festival.
In telephone talks, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach agreed to postpone the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, which were originally scheduled to begin this summer, by about a year. The IOC's executive board also approved the delay at an extraordinary meeting.
The Japanese government suggested the telephone talks. It apparently felt a sense of urgency over the prospect of the Games being canceled if a direction was not given soon.
Abe proposed a postponement of about a year and got the nod. It can be said this has made it possible for the Games to be held during his term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
The spread of coronavirus infections has continued. To realize the Tokyo Games, countries around the world must first work together to get the epidemic under control such as by developing therapeutic drugs.
As the host country, Japan in particular has a responsibility to take thorough measures to prevent infection, mainly in the capital of Tokyo. Medical and epidemic prevention systems should be put in place to enable foreign athletes, those related to the Games and spectators to visit Japan with peace of mind.
With the spread of the virus, athletes across the globe have become concerned as they face various restrictions on training and competition. The prospect that the Games will be delayed rather than canceled is a welcome result for many of them.
It is hoped that athletes will renew their minds and continue to work toward the new goal.
More than 100 athletes have already secured Olympic berths to represent Japan. The table tennis governing body does not intend to change the six male and female players who have already qualified for the Olympics. However, whether new qualifying events will be conducted has become an issue for some sports to consider.
The one-year delay is likely to affect some athletes in aspects such as their physical condition. It is essential to provide them with support so they can get into good condition. If they have to go through qualification processes again, it is imperative to carry out fair and transparent procedures with their full understanding.
The immediate challenge is to finalize a new schedule for the Games.
In July and August next year, the world championships for swimming and track and field will be held and they could overlap with the Games. World Athletics said in a statement that if the Games were to be postponed by one year, "World Athletics stands ready to work … on an alternative date." It is hoped that the IOC will make arrangements for the new schedule after consulting fully with each sport organization.
When the new schedule is set, it will be necessary to again secure venues for the Games. Many facilities have already been reserved for other events next year.
The organizing committee must explain once again the significance of hosting the Games and ask for cooperation in securing venues. If it is not possible to get certain venues, it should consider changing them.
On the other hand, it may be a good idea to make use of the completed National Stadium and other facilities for sporting and other events as much as possible leading up to the Games.
The postponement is expected to incur new costs.
The organizing committee, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the central government are spending a total of 1.35 trillion yen on the event. There is the possibility penalty fees will be imposed over canceled bookings for complexes that were scheduled to be used for competitions.
Organizing committee officials have been gathered from government ministries and agencies and also from private companies, on the assumption that the Games will be held this summer. If their terms on the committee are extended or the committee secures new members from these bodies, it will have to pay additional personnel costs.
The number of tickets that have already been sold has reached several million. Depending on how the tickets are handled, it may be necessary to consider refunds.
According to documents regarding the plan for the Tokyo Olympics, if the organizing committee faces a shortage of funds in paying the additional costs, the metropolitan government is responsible for making up the difference. If the metropolitan government is unable to fully cover the shortage, the central government will compensate. The three bodies are encouraged to spare no effort in finding a solution through repeated discussions.
There are also concerns that the postponement of the Olympics will have an impact on the Japanese economy.
It is inevitable that the absence of spectators this summer will deal a blow to a wide range of businesses, including those in the tourism and service sectors and involved in the retail of Games-related items.
Some experts estimate that the economic gain of hosting the Olympics, which is expected to total up to 2 trillion yen, will be postponed to fiscal 2021.
The spread of infections with the virus, combined with the damage caused by the postponement of the Olympics, could accelerate an economic slowdown.
The government plans to come up with a large-scale economic package after the passage of the fiscal 2020 budget proposal. These measures are mainly designed to support the economy by providing financial assistance to households and offering subsidies to companies.
It is important to pay careful attention to avoid a situation in which many companies are forced to scale down or go bankrupt.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on March 26, 2020.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
