Tokyo Olympic Facing Downfall
Tokyo
2020 officials are looking at ways to scale back next year's postponed
Olympics, the city's governor said Thursday, amid reports the opening ceremony
could be streamlined and spectator numbers cut.
Yuriko
Koike told reporters that organisers were weighing up what could be
"rationalised and simplified" as costs spiral for holding the first
postponed Games in history.
The
International Olympic Committee announced in March the Games would be delayed
due to the coronavirus pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands and
brought international travel to a virtual halt.
The
Games are now due to open on July 23, 2021, but organisers face the
unprecedented headache of rearranging the event, which requires a costly
rejigging of everything from venues to transport.
Local
media said streamlining plans could involve cutting the number of spectators
and reducing participation in the opening and closing ceremonies.
IOC
chief Thomas Bach said last month that 2021 was the "last option" for
holding the Tokyo Games, stressing that postponement cannot go on forever.He
declined to say whether a vaccine was a prerequisite for going ahead with the
Olympics, but was lukewarm on the idea of holding them behind closed doors.
Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said it would be "difficult" to hold
the postponed Tokyo Olympics if the coronavirus pandemic is not contained and
Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori has said the Olympics would have to be
cancelled if the coronavirus pandemic isn't brought under control by next year.
By Kamal Nizam
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