Sport

Tokyo 2020 organizers: we don’t want Games without an audience

Tokyo, Aug 6 (EFE).- Olympics organizers in Japan “don't want to hold competitions without an audience” but know stadiums will not be full due to the pandemic, Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said in an interview with Efe.He explained how they are dealing with the continuing uncertainty around the event due to the Covid-19 outbreak and outlined some of the measures being considered to hold the Games on 23 July 2021, the revised start date for the competition. (Camera: MARÍA ROLDÁN). SHOT LIST: TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS ORGANIZING COMMITTEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO) TOSHIRO MUTO DURING AN INTERVIEW AT THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OFFICE IN TOKYO, JAPAN, SOUND BITES: TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS ORGANIZING COMMITTEE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO) TOSHIRO MUTO (IN JAPANESE). TRANSLATION: 1. More than 10,000 athletes and committee representatives will come and we expect them to be tested when they leave their countries and of course when they arrive in Japan. 2. I don't think it will be possible to keep the Olympic Village area “clean” if athletes who stay there then go out to dinner somewhere without taking any preventive measures. We think it might be necessary to create a code of conduct for the athletes. 3. We are currently sending staff to baseball games to see the situation with our own eyes and try to learn. And from this fall onwards, world sporting events are expected (to resume). Seeing what measures they are going to take against the coronavirus will be a great reference for us.4. We don't want to hold competitions without an audience and we totally share Bach's point of view. Although before the pandemic spread we talked about holding them with full stadiums, now there is a high probability that we will be forced to discard this idea of having full stadiums. Even so, we don't want them to be totally without an audience.5. Society is going to live with the coronavirus for some time, so the Olympic and Paralympic Games are not going to be like they were before but I have said that we will take all possible measures against the virus. I can't say anything concrete now but I hope we can give more details by the end of the year. I think it is important that we prepare the environment so that people all over the world see that Tokyo is working hard in that direction and want to come.