IOC Resolved to Hold Tokyo Games Successfully: Bach

Tokyo, Nov. 16 (Jiji Press)--International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said Monday that the IOC has no doubt about its resolve to hold the postponed Tokyo Olympics successfully. Bach made the remark at a joint meeting in Tokyo with the International Paralympic Committee and the organizing committee of the Tokyo Summer Olympics and Paralympics, which have been postponed by one year to 2021 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The IOC chief said he came to Japan to show the IOC's full commitment to holding the Tokyo Games successfully. He noted that the IOC shares this stance with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. The visiting IOC leader held separate meetings with Suga and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike on Monday, agreeing with them to cooperate for the success of the games. On measures against the coronavirus, Bach said that he is increasingly confident about preparing a safe environment for everyone, including spectators. At a press conference after the joint meeting, Bach pointed out that even under the current conditions "you can organize safe sport events" in Japan, and that sport events are also being "successfully organized" around the world. Showing expectations that coronavirus vaccines will "likely" be available by next summer, Bach said that "as many foreign participants as possible" will hopefully get vaccinated. Bach also said the IOC is "looking for a reasonable number of spectators" for the Tokyo Games as a measure to prevent coronavirus infections, but declined to state when the size of audience will be finalized. He did not rule out the possibility of holding the Tokyo Games without spectators or with only Japanese spectators. On the issue of sharing with the Japanese side additional costs caused by the postponement of the games, Bach said it is "impossible now to have sound figures." Also at the press conference, Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo organizing committee, said the committee is making every effort to gain support for the Tokyo Games from the Japanese people. Mori was responding to a question about skepticism that there is strong momentum for the games among the public. At the meeting with Koike, Bach stressed that it is necessary for all people concerned to unite to develop measures against the coronavirus. Koike said that the Tokyo metropolitan government is making the utmost effort to tackle the coronavirus so that it can welcome Olympic and Paralympic athletes. It is important to hold the games safely, the Tokyo governor said. END