Tokyo Olympics: Thomas Bach defiant after urging Japanese people to welcome athletes even if they are banned from watching
- A reporter from the Yomiuri Shimbun says she is shocked and ashamed as a Japanese citizen because the IOC president needed to ask for support
- Bach says the IOC is aware of the scepticism by many Japanese towards the Games amid the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that no sporting event would ever gain 100 per cent support
Olympic chief Thomas Bach remained defiant on Saturday after urging Japanese people to welcome the world’s athletes and then being told by a reporter that her compatriots would have no problems opening their arms to visitors. She also pointed out out that spectators are banned from most venues because of Covid-19 restrictions.
At a press conference broadcast live on YouTube, Bach said the Tokyo Games would be the most-watched Olympics in history because of vast television and digital platforms being offered to billions of viewers around the world.
And the German urged Japanese citizens to be part of the celebration, even as Tokyo suffers a six-month-high surge in Covid-19 cases and more than 15,000 people in Japan have died from the coronavirus.
Wakako Yuki, of leading newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, said she was shocked and ashamed as a Japanese citizen because the IOC president needed to ask for support, saying that her compatriots would have “no reservations whatsoever” about welcoming athletes.
“We are very well aware of the scepticism a number of people have here in Japan,” Bach responded. “And we learn this through the media, who is elaborating on this very diligently and therefore my appeal to the Japanese people is to welcome these athletes here for the competition of their lives, and to acknowledge that it is not for any price these athletes are coming here.
“They have the same interests as the Japanese people, that these Games are safe and secure and for this they accept and even welcome restrictive measures which make these Olympic Games the most restrictive sports event not only in Japan but in the entire world.
“No sports events, neither in Japan or in the world, have had such strict anti-Covid protocols like these Olympic Games. And we both should have confidence in each other, as we have confidence in our Japanese partners and friends.”
An Ipsos Global Adviser poll released on Tuesday showed that 78 per cent of respondents in Japan say the Games should not go ahead because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has infected almost 835,000 people in Japan as of Saturday. A small group of protesters also laid siege outside the official hotel for the IOC in Tokyo on Saturday, holding signs calling for the Games to be cancelled.
The IOC confirmed on Saturday that there have been 15 Olympic-related positive tests since athletes and officials started arriving in Tokyo in last June, with a first infection reported at the Olympic Village – which at its peak is expected to house 6,000 athletes and officials at the same time.
Bach said the 15 positive tests were only 0.1 per cent of the Olympic population, proving that the safety protocols in place are effective.
“Even in Japan, you never have full support for the Olympics or any other event,” said Bach. “This is part of democracy, you will always have different opinions and such a discussion is becoming more heated and more emotional in a situation of a pandemic and that is something we have to understand.
“Many people feel under stress, they have to face uncertainty and you react with some scepticism and strong arguments and I think that is human life. Therefore, what we can do only is to try to get the attention of the people and try to enter into a dialogue with them to not only get the emotions across but also their confidence in these strict Covid measures.
“So we will continue to try to have this dialogue with them knowing we will not succeed 100 per cent. But also confident that once the Japanese people see the Japanese athletes perform in these Olympic Games and hopefully even successfully, then that the attitude may become less emotional.”
