Olympics chief Thomas Bach on Wednesday pledged “not to bring any risk” to Japan with the Games, seeking to reassure a sceptical public as virus cases surge just over a week before Tokyo 2020 begins.
Fans have been banned from Olympic events in the capital, which is under emergency restrictions to curb rising infection numbers that on Wednesday hit highs not seen since January.
As more athletes arrive in Japan and move into the Olympic Village, International Olympic Committee chief Bach promised a safe summer Games.
“We are making all our efforts and the Japanese people have all our commitment to contribute in the best way to fight this virus and not to bring any risk to the Japanese people,” Bach told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Bach said “85 percent of all the residents in the Olympic Village and almost 100 percent of the IOC members and staff coming here to Tokyo arrive vaccinated.
“This is why I’d like to humbly ask the Japanese people to warmly welcome the athletes from all around the world who have overcome, like the Japanese people, so many challenges.”
In an exchange with major global press agencies later on Wednesday, Bach said his team had strived to maintain a confident stance after Tokyo 2020 was postponed in March last year.
“In these 15 months, we had doubts every day. This was a situation of high uncertainty,” he said.
“Quite honestly, it was way, way more complex than we thought it would be when we agreed on this postponement.”
But by projecting confidence and taking decisions seriously, the IOC kept other parties on side, from athletes to sports federations and local authorities, Bach said.
“Only because they all stayed on board, we can be here now, nine days before the opening of the Games.”
Oath-takers increased
The number of oath-takers at the Olympics opening ceremony has been doubled from three to six for the Tokyo Games to ensure gender parity, the IOC said while announcing that the oath has also been reworked slightly to incorporate “inclusion and equality” in it.
The Olympic oath is taken by an athlete from the host county, on behalf of all the competitors and the ceremony also includes one coach and a judge.
This time, Japan will pick two — one male and one female — from each group for the event, which has been an integral part of the Games since 1920.
“The gender balance of the oath-takers is just one of a large number of decisions and commitments from the IOC and the Organising Committee to promote women in sport at all levels and in all structures, as stated in the Olympic Charter,” the IOC said.
Two words — inclusion and equality — have been added to the opening line of the Oath.
Depending on the group that is speaking, the new oath reads: “In the name of the athletes”, “In the name of all judges” or “In the name of all the coaches and officials”.
Reufgee official +ve
Doha: An official of the IOC’s refugee team has tested positive for Covid-19 here, leading to a delay in their travel plans for the Tokyo Games even though all others have returned negative results for now.
The official, who has been isolated by the Qatari Public Authorities, is considered asymptomatic and doing well.
The refugee team in the Olympics was first introduced in the 2016 Rio Games as a tribute to the courage and perseverance of all refugees.