With 1 year to go, fate of Tokyo Games still uncertain
Thursday marked the one-year countdown to the start of the Tokyo Olympics – the first in history to be postponed. But with the clock ticking down and the global pandemic showing no signs of abating, concerns are being raised about whether the sporting extravaganza can even be held next summer.
Efforts to “simplify” the Tokyo Games to reduce costs and prevent the spread of coronavirus infections have been floated as organizers brace, once again, to meet the looming challenges in hosting the event.
Last month, the Tokyo organizing committee suggested during a video conference with International Olympic Committee members that the parade of athletes at the opening ceremony could be “scaled down.” The IOC bristled at the proposal.
One member said this important ceremony embodied the Olympic spirit and allowed athletes from around the world to interact in the name of sports and peace. Cutting back that event, the member said, was “impossible.”
The parade of athletes was first held at the 1908 London Olympics and the IOC regards it as an integral part of the opening ceremony. But talk of scaling it back is not new. Compared with the parade at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, which had about 5,700 athletes and officials from 94 countries and regions and lasted about 45 minutes, those at more recent Olympics have featured participants from about 200 nations and regions and often stretch on for about two hours. Some observers have said this “places a large burden” on the athletes.
Prior to the postponement, the parade at the opening ceremony scheduled for the new National Stadium this year would have featured about 10,000 athletes and officials lasting about two hours. If, a year from now, the parade includes “social distancing” between athletes as a coronavirus countermeasure, it will take even longer.
During the bidding process, Tokyo’s budget for the opening and closing ceremonies, including for the Paralympics, was capped at ¥9.1 billion. However, as the lineup for performances starting falling into place, the figure ballooned to ¥13.0 billion.
The organizing committee figures that if the lavish performances and number of athlete were reduced, it would save time and cut costs involved in security and transporting people, as well as help prevent densely crowded situations.
Broadcast rights a barrier
The IOC’s resistance to the proposal was fiercer than anticipated.
According to Video Research Ltd., 23.6% of households in the Kanto region watched the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. This figure, second only to the rating for the men’s marathon, peaked at 27.8% when the Japanese delegation entered the stadium.
The opening ceremony is popular around the world, so scaling it back was unpalatable to the IOC, which relies on broadcasting rights fees for a major chunk of its income.
When reporters asked Yoshiro Mori, president of the organizing committee, on July 6 about the latest developments in the proposal to simplify the Games, his expression hardened.
“Scaling back the opening ceremony would reduce costs, but the IOC said it wasn’t an option because it would mean having to pay damages to TV stations for breach of contract,” Mori said. “It hasn’t quite gone as we hoped.”
Postponement of the Games is expected to incur up to ¥300 billion in necessary expenses such as fees for securing venues and personnel costs. Tokyo has poured more than ¥1 trillion into measures to combat the coronavirus, leaving the host city with very little to spare for additional costs. Trimming expenses has become essential.
Creating a ‘new’ Olympics
The organizing committee has identified about 200 items, including the Olympic torch relay and a party facility on Tokyo’s waterfront for IOC members and others in the “Olympic family,” that could be subject to cuts. The IOC agrees with the policy of simplifying the Games, but talks over certain items have been bumpy.
“At a time when the pandemic has not been halted and the economic situation is deteriorating, I sense a vibe, both domestically and overseas, that perhaps holding the Games next summer might be difficult,” a senior organizing committee member said. “Unless we remove the extravagant elements and show an intention to create a new Olympics, we won’t be able to gain support for hosting the Games.”
Softball was originally scheduled to get the Olympics underway with games on Wednesday at Fukushima Azuma Baseball Stadium. While the stands were empty, the heavy rain that fell the previous night had cleared away. It was a fine day.
The first softball game at the delayed Games is slated for July 21, 2021. Standing now at a crossroads, what will the Tokyo Olympics look like by then?