Refunds offered for Tokyo 2020

The Games will be delayed until next July because of the Covid-19 pandemic. PHOTO: AFP

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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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 31, 2020, with the headline Refunds offered for Tokyo 2020. Subscribe