TOKYO • Japan's new Olympics chief yesterday dropped the biggest hint the Tokyo 2020 Games will take place before a live audience, despite concerns about hosting the Games during the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Seiko Hashimoto, who last week took over as president of the organising committee after predecessor Yoshiro Mori resigned following a furore over sexist remarks, told local media the Olympics should have fans.
In an interview published in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper yesterday, she believes that while crowd attendance will be capped, the Summer Games will not be a closed-door affair.
However, the exact number of fans who will be let in will depend on how the pandemic pans out.
"When we think about the possibility of holding the Olympics without fans in the stands, athletes will definitely wonder why there are no fans just for the Olympics and Paralympics when other competitions are allowing in spectators," Ms Hashimoto said. "Everyone wants an early decision about the direction to be taken regarding fans to prepare tickets and hotel accommodations."
Olympic officials have said there could be separate decisions made in the coming months about local spectators and whether overseas fans will be permitted.
Ms Hashimoto's comments came as Japanese officials moved towards removing the entry ban on foreign athletes for the Olympics, possibly after next Sunday when the state of emergency for the greater Tokyo region is scheduled to end, according to the Nikkei newspaper and Kyodo News.
That would allow Olympic test events from April, as well as football World Cup qualifiers from next month to take place in Japan, Kyodo added.
But the organisers are still struggling to ease the Japanese public's scepticism about the safety and the urgency of hosting the Games while the pandemic rages on.
Polls show about 80 per cent of people polled in Japan back either cancellation or further postponement, neither of which the International Olympic Committee is willing to contemplate.
On the prevailing negative sentiment, Ms Hashimoto told Asahi: "Support for holding the Olympics will not increase until we can eliminate various issues of concern concerning the coronavirus pandemic, including the serious strain being placed on the medical care structure."
While virus countermeasures remain the top priority, the seven-time Olympian-turned-politician has also vowed to increase female representation on the organising committee's board.
Citing unidentified sources, Fuji Network News yesterday said the panel is to be expanded from 35 to 45 members, with 11 more women coming in.
The committee is now in the final stages of decision making and the new faces will include former Olympians, and those with experience in athletics and academics, fulfilling Ms Hashimoto's goal of having women fill 40 per cent of the places on the board, up from 20 per cent.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
