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Staging games a tough call

Only two global wars have stopped the Olympics from taking place. But as the world continues to battle Covid-19, the status of the Tokyo Games remains in doubt, even as International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach on Wednesday reiterated that the organisers were committed to holding a "successful and safe" Games this year. The 32nd Games have already been pushed back a year and with another postponement not an option, it leaves a cancellation as a possible outcome. Please subscribe or log in to continue reading the full article. Get unlimited access to all stories at $0.99/month Latest headlines and exclusive stories In-depth analyses and award-winning multimedia content Get access to all with our no-contract promotional package at only $0.99/month for the first 3 months* Subscribe now *Terms and conditions apply.

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Organisers call Olympic cancellation report ‘fake news’

TOKYO • Tokyo Olympics organisers played down a poll showing plunging support for the Games yesterday and said a report claiming cancellation could be discussed next month was "fake news". The comments, less than 200 days before the postponed Games start on July 23, come with greater Tokyo under a month-long state of emergency over a spike in coronavirus cases and with countries around the world battling outbreaks. In a New Year's address to staff, Tokyo 2020 chief executive officer Toshiro Muto put a positive spin on a Kyodo news poll published on Sunday showing 45 per cent want the 2020 Games delayed again, with 35 per cent favouring outright cancellation. "The number of people calling for it to be cancelled has only risen by about five per cent," Muto said. "The number of people calling for it to be postponed has risen a lot, but that means those people still want it to be held. "Of course, for it to be held, we have to guarantee that we hold a safe Games with anti-virus measures. If you think of it in those terms, I firmly believe people will get more and more behind it." He also dismissed as "fake news" a Japanese media report claiming the International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 organisers would debate the fate of the Games next month. "When these types of reports surface, some people might feel anxious about them," he said. "I want to say that we are not thinking that way at all, and that these reports are wrong." British rowing great Matthew Pinsent yesterday called for the Games to be cancelled and Tokyo to host the event in 2024 instead. The four-time Olympic gold medallist tweeted that it would be "ludicrous" to host an event with thousands of people flying in without being vaccinated. He called for Tokyo to host the Games in 2024, with Paris taking over in 2028 and Los Angeles moving back to 2032. 80% Respondents to a Japanese news poll who are not in favour of the Olympics being held in Tokyo this year. The Japanese government is expected to expand the state of emergency soon to other regions, and it has already lowered spectator caps at sports events in greater Tokyo to 5,000 people or 50 per cent capacity, whichever is less. But Tokyo 2020 organisers have drawn up a raft of guidelines that they say will allow the Games to go ahead, even without a successful vaccine roll-out, and Muto said he was confident they will deliver. "I think this is an amazing organisation," he added. "There had never been a postponement before in history, and that one word 'postponement' can't sum up the amount of work that needed to be done. We still have a lot to do, but we have overcome a lot and that gives us a lot of confidence as an organising committee." Japan is not expected to begin vaccination before late next month. Local media reported that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and philanthropist Bill Gates agreed yesterday that vaccines must be distributed to developing countries to ensure the safety of the Games. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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Tokyo emergency cloud hangs over Olympic hopes

TOKYO • Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga yesterday insisted his government was still committed to holding the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics this summer, saying the Games would not only be "proof that mankind overcame the virus" but deliver "hope and courage" to the whole world. However, authorities are set to declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and three adjoining prefectures as infections and the number of people in serious condition reach record levels. The capital yesterday reported almost 900 new Covid-19 cases, while there are about 110 people with serious symptoms. The nationwide weekly case total has increased for 14 straight weeks, while the death toll in that period has increased 10 times. Domestic media reports say the state of emergency could be declared as early as Thursday. Should Japan again issue a state of emergency - the first was declared in April - as requested by Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures to combat the spike, it is bound to have a serious impact on the Games. With 199 days to go, another such measure would hinder local athletes' training for the Olympics, due to start on July 23 following an unprecedented one-year delay, while reigniting the debate about whether they should be held at all. Japan has barred entry from all countries, excluding Japanese nationals and non-Japanese residents, until the end of the month, and special procedures developed to expedite the safe entry of oversea athletes have been partially suspended. Last year's state of emergency was lifted in Tokyo by the end of May. Until that time, Tokyo's National Training Centre, a key component of Japan's strategy to achieve Olympic success, was effectively shuttered. With less than seven months before the Olympics, a similar situation would represent a huge hurdle to many athletes' preparations. Enthusiasm for the Games is also not building, with recent polls still showing a majority of respondents favouring either another delay or an outright cancellation. 199 Days until the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics. Netizens also expressed their frustration on social media over the tightening of Covid-19 countermeasures. One user, Mii Mama, tweeted: "This morning the news said it's 200 days till the Olympics, and in the afternoon, that there could be another state of emergency. What's going on?" But despite the worsening crisis, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach remains hopeful Tokyo can get a handle on the situation. In his New Year's message, he said: "We can only thank our Japanese partners and friends for their great commitment and their determination, which is absolutely in line with our commitment and our determination to organise these Games in a safe and secure way for all the participants and to make these Games fit for the post-coronavirus world." BLOOMBERG, KYODO NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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Olympics delay to add $2.6b to initial cost of $17.4b

TOKYO • The organising committee for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics has estimated the additional cost for postponing the Games to next summer to be about 200 billion yen (S$2.6 billion), Yomiuri Shimbun has reported. The Games' original cost was 1.35 trillion yen (S$17.4 billion) and the committee will discuss the plan with the Japanese and Tokyo metropolitan governments and decide next month how to split the cost, the newspaper said yesterday, citing unidentified Olympic officials. The Tokyo Games, which are now set for July 23 to Aug 8 next year, were delayed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the first time an Olympics was postponed. Yomiuri said members of the organising committee had initially voiced concern that the extra cost could run to as much as 300 billion yen, but agreed with the International Olympic Committee to simplify aspects of the Games to save money. There will be fewer free tickets, while athlete welcome ceremonies have been scrapped, with savings on banners, mascots and meals. The additional costs also take into account staff salaries, the rebooking of venues, transportation, as well as the introduction of new systems for refunding tickets. However, they do not include counter-measures to slow down the spread of Covid-19, as these are primarily being handled and paid for by the Japanese government, Yomiuri said. The shift to next year has caused logistical headaches, but is far less painful than cancelling it, with sponsors, broadcasters and others having invested billions of dollars into the world's foremost sporting event. Officials of the Tokyo Olympics organising committee could not be reached for comment, but a senior official said last week that Games test events would resume in March and a decision on fan attendance will be made in the spring. The 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro cost 43.3 billion reais (S$10.9 billion), while the 2012 edition in London cost £8.92 billion (S$15.9 billion). The 2008 Beijing Olympics is still the most expensive Summer Games on record at US$40 billion (S$53.5 billion). The cost of hosting Olympics in the past $10.9b - 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games $15.9b - 2012 London Games $53.5b - 2008 Beijing Games AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, BLOOMBERG More on this topic   Related Story Olympics: Tokyo Games test events to resume in March   Related Story Olympics: Japanese minister says it's not the government's role to look into Tokyo bid payments

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Tokyo still wants a full house at Olympic events

TOKYO • Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said yesterday that the best-case scenario for next year's postponed Olympics is to have venues full of spectators, as the organisers wrestle with how to plan for the Games amid the coronavirus pandemic. With Covid-19 infections on the rise in many countries around the world, Olympic organisers have not decided whether to allow spectators into venues next year and if so, how many. They said previously that they will not make a decision on numbers until the spring. Ms Koike, speaking at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, said the organisers were still hopeful venues could be filled with fans during the July 23-Aug 8 Olympics. "The best-case scenario... would be when all athletes from all countries come here in safety and with peace of mind and the Olympics can, as in previous years, be held with full spectators present as well," she said. Although Japan has largely avoided the huge numbers of Covid-19 infections seen in other countries, daily cases in Tokyo rose to records above 500 last week. The Tokyo 2020 organising committee has been discussing ways to hold a "safe and secure" Games despite the recent spike. "Following Tokyo, Paris will host the (Summer) Games in 2024 and then Los Angeles in 2028. We will create a new model that benefits the post-Covid world and I wish to pass this on to these two cities," Ms Koike added. She warned that Tokyo was seeing a rise in infections among older residents, including cases where people had contracted the virus while eating out and brought it home to elderly relatives. She also met Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga yesterday to discuss a domestic travel promotion campaign introduced by the government earlier this year to try to stimulate local economies hit by the near-complete absence of foreign tourism amid the pandemic. The government is preparing to pause the campaign in Osaka and Sapporo following sharp rises in Covid-19 cases, the minister handling the coronavirus response said. REUTERS

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Everyone will be vaccinated: Bach

TOKYO • International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach yesterday expressed confidence that the Tokyo Games will be held successfully next year, with spectators allowed to attend as the world grapples with a sharp rise in coronavirus infections. While his two-day visit to Tokyo, which concludes today, is likely to bolster Japan's efforts to stage the Olympics, it will do little to assuage the concerns of a public deeply worried about Covid-19's spread. The IOC president spent the day with Tokyo organisers discussing how to stage the massive sporting event during an unprecedented pandemic and ensure safety for a gathering of more than 11,000 international athletes. The visit is Bach's first to the Japanese capital since he and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided in March to postpone the Games to next year. With hygiene in mind, the German elected for fist and elbow bumps over handshakes with both new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, telling them they could be confident a vaccine would be available by next July. The IOC will arrange to ensure vaccination of both athletes and visitors before they arrive in Japan, he added. "In order to protect the Japanese people, and out of respect for the Japanese people, the IOC will undertake great effort so that... the Olympic participants and visitors will arrive here vaccinated if, by then, a vaccine is available," Bach said. However, at a news conference later, the 66-year-old stated he would not make vaccination a requirement for the Games' participants. News of potentially successful vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna has lifted hopes for the Games to be held, but public opinion in Japan remains mixed. While Japan has largely avoided the high death tolls recorded in the western hemisphere, the country has topped 1,000 cases for each of the past six days, with records set for the last three days. SAFETY FIRST In order to protect the Japanese people, and out of respect for the Japanese people, the IOC will undertake great effort so that... the Olympic participants and visitors will arrive here vaccinated if, by then, a vaccine is available. THOMAS BACH, IOC president, declaring the organisation's consideration for the Japanese public.   Nearly 60 per cent of respondents in a poll by TV Asahi earlier this month said the event should be further postponed or cancelled. After meeting Ms Koike, Bach approached a handful of protesters who were holding banners and using loudspeakers to press their demand for the Olympics to be axed. "Do you want to speak or do you want to shout?" he asked, as security guards stood between him and one protester, while the group rebuffed his offer for dialogue. However, Bach later insisted after the confrontation that next year's Games will be the "light at the end of the tunnel", pointing to recent sporting competitions like the gymnastics meet earlier this month as proof events can already take place safely. He also claimed the IOC was now "very confident" spectators would be able to attend in person, but told reporters it was not realistic to put a figure on the cost of the postponement until next year's virus precautions are ascertained. During his visit to Tokyo, Bach also awarded Mr Abe the Olympic Order, the IOC's highest accolade. As premier, Mr Abe made himself all but synonymous with Tokyo 2020, even famously appearing as video game character Mario at the closing ceremony of the Rio Games in 2016. He also played a critical role in Tokyo's bid to win the Olympics, making the campaign a national priority. A few years later, a French investigation into doping by Russian athletes revealed evidence of two payments totalling US$2.3 million (S$3.1 million) by the Tokyo bid committee to now-defunct Singaporean firm Black Tidings. France is investigating if that money was used to win the backing of an influential IOC member, former Dentsu executive Haruyuki Takahashi, for Japan to host the 2020 Games. Bach said that the payments did not infringe any of the body's rules, adding the matter was an "internal affair". Takahashi now sits on the board of the organising committee of the Games. REUTERS

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Bach in Tokyo to sort out key issues

TOKYO • Tokyo Olympics organisers will welcome Thomas Bach today with a spring in their step, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president is sure to ask demanding questions in private, even if his support remains unwavering in public. The visit will be the German's first to the Japanese capital since he and then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in March decided to postpone the Games for the first time because of the coronavirus pandemic. His arrival comes after Tokyo over a week ago hosted a successful international gymnastics meet where a variety of Covid-19 counter-measures were tested, and with news of a potentially successful vaccine from Pfizer on the horizon. In a video message broadcast during the four-nation gymnastics event, Bach said the event gave confidence that the Games can go ahead next year, even if it has to be held with restrictions. Before the postponement decision, Bach praised Tokyo as the "most prepared" host city he had experienced and the 1976 Montreal Games fencing gold medallist in team foil is expected to convey a similarly positive message this time around. However, despite what Bach may say in public during his two-day trip, he will also be pushing Tokyo 2020 organisers to formulate concrete plans for the rearranged Games and enact further cost-reduction measures. The two key areas Bach will want to hash out with the organisers are whether spectators will be allowed in venues, and how best to safely accommodate over 11,000 athletes arriving in Tokyo from across the world. "It (the trip) is important because we are now coming to a crucial stage of putting this toolbox together with Covid-19 counter-measures to get the feeling what will be needed next year," he said last week. During the visit, the German is expected to meet Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and will award his predecessor Abe the Olympic Order, the IOC's highest accolade, for his support of the Games. Bach will also meet Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, visit the newly built National Stadium, and hold a news conference alongside Tokyo 2020 organisers. 11,000 Athletes expected to arrive in Tokyo for the Olympics next year. REUTERS

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Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Participating in “ROBOSHIP Joint Value Creation Project: PoC in Tokyo 2020” Exploring the Future of Marine Vessels

TOKYO, Nov 11, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, is participating in an inter-business project to explore the potential of the "ROBOSHIP" as the marine vessel of the future. A proof of concept (PoC) test using two actual surface vessels was jointly conducted on November 11, 2020. This PoC test, to be held in the sea off Toyosu in Tokyo using a passenger vessel owned by Tokyo Cruise Ship Co., Ltd., intended to demonstrate the cutting-edge technologies and ideas of the participating companies, with the aim of supporting the development and widespread adoption of a navigational support system for coastal vessels.The PoC testing is part of the "ROBOSHIP Joint Value Creation Project" led by e5 Lab Inc., a firm jointly established in 2019 by four companies representing shipping companies and a trading company to develop EV (electric vehicle) ships and digitization technologies. The project is a collaborative effort between e5 Lab, 22 companies and a ship classification society, including firms outside the shipbuilding and marine transport field, as a cooperative platform to create value and turn challenges into opportunities by addressing issues facing the ocean shipping industry. Specifically, a two-day event to be held on November 11-12, entitled "ROBOSHIP Joint Value Creation Project PoC in Tokyo 2020" is being conducted on the theme of "Ideas for future ships envisioned by e5 Lab, 22 partner companies, and a ship classification society."Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, with assistance from related sections within MHI Group, has provided maritime-related engineering services, support for marine vessel remote control/autonomous navigation, and system integration for the vessel propulsion units. As part of the test, a navigation support system called SUPERBRIDGE-X, with functions including route planning, course control, vessel speed control, and collision avoidance has been installed in "Urban Launch," a passenger vessel operated by Tokyo Cruise Ship Co., Ltd. to conduct cruises in Tokyo Bay and other areas. In addition, a remotely operated unmanned surface vessel developed by MHI has also been made available, and the two vessels used to demonstrate collision avoidance.In its "MARINE FUTURE STREAM" growth strategy, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has set goals for the decarbonization of the maritime economy through renewable energy and carbon recycling, and effective utilization of the marine space with digitalization and electrification, aiming to generate new ideas through marine-related innovation and making them a reality. Meanwhile, e5 Lab is a solution provider working to solve issues in the maritime industry through the development of EV ships and digitization, in order to promote safe navigation for vessels, a better work environment for crews, and conservation of the global environment. While sharing concepts for activities in a full-fledged effort to find solutions to the social challenges facing the marine transport and maritime industry, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will pursue cooperation through the joint value creation project.Going forward, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will leverage the marine-related technologies accumulated by wide range of technologies of MHI Group, and by providing shipbuilding engineering services as well as system integration for EV ship powertrains and digitalization to improve the work environment, will find solutions to the various challenges facing customers and society. In cooperation with e5 Lab, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding aims to be a solution provider working to resolve issues in the maritime industry.For more information on e5 Lab and "ROBOSHIP Joint Value Creation Project PoC in Tokyo 2020", see following links:https://e5ship.com/https://www.roboship.net/About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group (TSE: 7011; US: MHVYF) is one of the world's leading industrial firms. For more than 130 years, we have channeled big thinking into solutions that move the world forward - advancing the lives of everyone who shares our planet. We deliver innovative and integrated solutions across a wide range of industries, covering land, sea, sky and even space. MHI Group employs 80,000 people across 400 locations, operating in three business domains: "Power Systems," "Industry & Infrastructure," "Aircraft, Defense & Space." We have a consolidated revenue of around 40 billion USD. We aim to contribute to environmental sustainability while achieving global growth, using our leading-edge technologies. By bringing people and ideas together as one, we continue to pave the way to a future of shared success.For more information, please visit MHI's website: https://www.mhi.com For Technology, Trends and Tangents, visit MHI's new online media SPECTRA: https://spectra.mhi.com Copyright 2020 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

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Refunds offered for Tokyo 2020

TOKYO • Japan-based ticket holders for the postponed Tokyo Olympics will be able to apply for refunds from Nov 10, Games organisers said yesterday. With the Games delayed until next July because of the Covid-19 pandemic, organisers added that ticket holders can get a refund if they no longer wished to attend. Organisers said they would accept refund requests for tickets from those residing in Japan from Nov 10-30 and for Paralympics ticket holders from Dec 1-21. Organisers have sold over five million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics domestically, but have yet to decide whether spectators will be allowed into venues, with a decision expected by the end of this year. "If we are not able to provide an opportunity to spectate the Games due to the Covid-19 situation, then we will offer an additional opportunity to apply for a refund," Tokyo 2020 marketing director Hidenori Suzuki said. Those living outside Japan had to purchase their tickets from authorised ticket resellers (ATRs) and each ATR would be individually responsible for their own refund procedures, according to organisers. The latest version of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee budget, released in December 2019, saw US$800 million (S$1.09 billion) coming in from ticket sales. On the impact potential refunds would have, organisers said no details will be released until the budget is announced. The International Olympic Committee has already said that the delay will cost it approximately US$800 million, while Japanese organisers have yet to announce what their share will be. Separately, the marching order of parade at the Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony will be decided by the Japanese names of nations and Japan's "fifty sound" phonetic order, Kyodo news agency reported. The decision was made in the hope of promoting Japanese culture when the Games start. Athletes from participating nations in the country's past three Olympics - the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo, the 1972 Winter Games in Sapporo and the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano - all marched according to English alphabetical order. REUTERS, XINHUA

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