Tokyo organizers identify 52 areas to simplify Games
Tokyo, Sep 25 (efe-epa).- Tokyo 2020 organizers and the International Olympic Committee on Friday said they had identified 52 areas to simplify next year’s Games to help with cost-saving and to adapt to the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The measures include a reduction on the number of people allowed to travel with a national delegation and hosting some formalities online rather than in person.
Representatives of both organizations brought the public up-to-date on the new measures following a meeting on Friday.
Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission Chair John Coates said: “Built from the principles outlined by the Joint IOC and Tokyo 2020 Steering Committee, these optimisations and simplifications mark an important step towards delivering a safe and successful Games in 2021.”
The measures would allow organizers to plan a simplified and less-costly event, he added.
“The ‘Tokyo Model’ will not only deliver a Games fit for a post-corona world, it will become a blueprint that will benefit future Organising Committees for many years to come.”
The president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, Yoshiro Mori, said: “Considering the current state of the world, we have been discussing how we will be able to deliver a safe and secure Games that can win public understanding in these challenging times.”
“We will make all efforts to ensure that in the future the Tokyo 2020 Games will be a legacy. We will continue to work hard on simplifications towards next year and ask for the continued cooperation of all those involved in the Games.”
The cutbacks for the Games are set to be centered on the participation of delegation members, whether they be from national olympic teams, sponsors or governments, which will be decreased by between 10 to 15 percent.
The opening ceremony will be a more muted affair, with musical acts and speeches while meetings between high-level Olympic representatives will be held online and ticket allocations to sponsors and special guests will be reduced, freeing up more tickets to members of the public.
