Tokyo: Head of IOC Thomas Bach urged the Japanese to be behind the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday as the first Coronavirus case hit the village of Games, encouraging fresh anxiety about the health risks caused by giant events.
Bach, who faced protests scattered since arriving in Japan, appealed to the public to hold their support behind the athletes despite the fear of a surge in cases when thousands of international visitors arrived.
The President of the International Olympic Committee said that he was “very aware of skepticism” surrounding 2020 matches delayed, which had attracted a low-opinion polling rating for months.
“I begged Japanese people to welcome these athletes here for their life competition,” said Bach, insisting on the Tokyo Olympics safely, called them “the most stringent sporting event …
around the world”.
“I would like to ask and invite Japanese people humbly, to welcome and support the athletes from all over the world,” he added.
Bach’s request came only six days before the opening ceremony for the match, which will take place in the condition of “bubble” biosecure and most without fans.
It also coincides with the first case in the Olympic Village, about people who are not named in isolation.
However, Bach said only 15 people had tested the positive from 15,000 arrivals in July, quoting it as proof that strict anti-Koronavirus steps, including daily tests for athletes, worked.
He also holds the door open for the possibility of fans if conditions increase, citing communiques issued after talks between IOC, the International Paralympics Committee, Tokyo 2020, the Japanese government and Tokyo authority.
“We will continue to monitor the development of anti-covid.
And if the situation must change, we have a five-party meeting immediately to overcome this with the relevant anti-covid-19 steps,” Bach said.
The anti-Olympic protesters raised placards during Bach’s visit to Hiroshima on Friday and around 30 demonstrators were blocked by the police outside the IOC Executive Board meeting on Saturday in a luxury hotel in Tokyo.
Receipts for Bach on Sunday will be attended by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and 40 guests, according to a report.
But Bach said, “We are only guests” on the show, which will happen while Tokyo remains under an emergency.
“We are a guest of the organizing committee for this invitation and we believe that the organizing committee will follow all regulations and limits,” he said.
Previously, the Head of Games Seiko Hashimoto tried to convince the athletes who arrived in Japan, acknowledging them “may be very worried”.
Some competitors have expressed concern over the conditions at the Olympics, which are characterized by temperatures everywhere, hand sanitis and daily testing.
The organizer promises full transparency about cases in the village, and urges people to take part in the match to stay with anti-koronavirus rules.
“Athletes who come to Japan may be very worried.
I understand that,” Hashimoto said.
“That’s the reason why we need to do full disclosure.” Prime Minister Suga said he hoped the Olympics would bring excitement, even if they took place behind the closed door.
“Even without a spectator, I think it’s important to bring excitement …
to people in Japan and the world,” he said in Nippon TV.