Japan and Olympic organisers are at pains to insist this summer's Games in Tokyo are on, despite the new coronavirus outbreak. Photo: AP
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Tokyo 2020: coronavirus cannot be beaten by Olympic war of words
- As one dissenting voice on the organising committee calling for a delay is drowned out, Games presses on for July start
- IOC back chief’s ‘full steam ahead’ stance despite WHO reclassifying virus as a pandemic
A man wearing a face mask walks in front of the Olympic Rings in Tokyo. There are increasing calls to delay the Summer Games. Photo: AFP
When International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound called the coronavirus outbreak “the new war” all was quiet on the Western front.
Times have now changed. A rapid rise in the number of countries reporting cases and the number of those cases has finally led the WHO to label the coronavirus a pandemic. That came on Wednesday.
The same day, organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, which are set to start on July 24, announced that nothing had changed with their preparations.
Tokyo Games organising committee chairman Yoshiro Mori held a press conference where he was unequivocal in the Games going ahead as planned.
“Our basic stance is to proceed with our preparation and to hold a safe Olympics,” Mori said, indicating that the World Health Organisation should take the lead. The IOC announced they fully backed his statement.
Also on Wednesday, Japan’s Olympics Minister Seiko Hashimoto stood in front of a parliamentary committee and said that cancelling or postponing was “inconceivable” and “impossible”.
“A delay is not under consideration,” she said, before stressing the final decision lays with the IOC. “We think it is important that the government gives correct information so that the IOC makes an appropriate decision.”
Then on Thursday, Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said that there is no need to change Tokyo 2020 plans, nor was there any need to declare a state of emergency in the country.
This was all in response to one of the 25-person organising committee breaking rank. On Tuesday Haruyuki Takashashi had told both Reuters and The Wall Street Journal that the Games could take place in 2022.
Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori speaks to reporters during a press conference called after another organising committee member spoke out. Photo: AFP
He cited the financial cost of the Games and the fact that much of 2021’s sporting calendar is already locked down.
Shhhhhh, was the message from the rest of the organising committee. Even if it is what everyone else is thinking – and arguably a best-case scenario – Takahashi was hung out to dry.
“At this important time, Mr Takahashi should not make these remarks without thinking,” said Mori of his committee colleague, who was stood alongside him.
A pedestrian wearing a protective face mask walks past a banner featuring the emblem for the Tokyo 2020 Games, which are less than five months away. Photo: Bloomberg
Mori, a former prime minister, said that Takahashi had apologised in a phone call for his “outrageous” opinions. That’s all cleared up, then.
Things became more confusing when Japan’s Kyodo News Agency published another interview with Takahashi, where he said he would propose a delay when the committee next meets in April.
“We need to deal with [the crisis] based on reality,” he said, building on his Tuesday comments. “Time is running out.”
However that was subsequently explained away as having been conducted before the pile-on, apology and dismissal of his dissent. There can be no dissent.
Bizarrely, Mori also said that the reason the Tokyo Games could not wait two years was because of the stadiums needed to host.
“Nobody can guarantee that competition venues can be maintained for one or two more years,” Mori said. “Maybe Mr Takahashi can guarantee it but we cannot imagine that can happen.”
A pedestrian passes the Olympic rings installed outside the Japan Olympic Museum. The Games are set to start on July 24. Photo: Bloomberg
It seems that they are unwilling to imagine anything. If we are going to lose this Olympics among all the events that are already cancelled or postponed then the organisers are still at the first stage of grief: denial.
There is no denying the fact that we are already facing the biggest disruption to the global sporting calendar since World War II. Pound was right and the rest of the sports world has begun to admit that.
The NBA became the most high profile to add its name to sports leagues that have postponed, cancelled or played games behind closed doors when it suspended the league on Wednesday. More events and tournaments will join the growing list globally.
“I cannot see how we can stage a fight behind closed doors with no crowd,” boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said of Anthony Joshua’s summer fight against Kubrat Pulev.
They are all willing to fight the war, while Tokyo 2020 is waging little more than a war of words.
Organisers took Thursday as the day to announce that the Olympic Games would begin at 9am on July 22 with Japan playing Australia in the softball at the Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium.
Mori attends a news conference in Tokyo where he said plans have not changed. Photo: Reuters
Thursday did bring at least something approaching common sense with the admission by Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike that the WHO classifying the coronavirus as a pandemic will have an impact on discussions, as the Kyodo News reported.
However, Koike also said that for now cancellation is unthinkable.
As the days count down this stance is looking more untenable. People want answers.
Two US senators have written to the IOC to ask what protocols they have in place to limit what they describe as a “dangerous opportunity for Covid-19 to spread at unprecedented levels throughout the globe”.
Tokyo 2020 needs to stop washing its hands of that responsibility.