The government is likely to extend Tokyo's emergency and put the same order on northern Hokkaido, which is set to host the marathon.
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The upcoming Tokyo Olympics seem to descend further into doubt and uncertainty as more people express their concerns about The Games being hosted in the climate of a global pandemic. The most recent setback to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the local organisers is that several campaigners have submitted a petition named ‘Cancel Olympics’ calling for the summer games to be scrapped. The petition received widespread support as it garnered over 350,000 signatures. The Japanese government is also likely to extend Tokyo’s state of emergency and put the same order on northern Hokkaido, which is set to host the Olympic marathon.
Ex-candidate for the Tokyo governor, Kenji Utsunomiya submitted the petition to the city authorities and urged those up the ladder to “prioritise life”. “I think the Olympics this time is about whether we prioritise life or a ceremony and event called the Olympics,” he said. The petition will also be sent to the national government, IOC, and International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Utsunomiya also warned that hosting The Games in the current scenario would mean setting aside medical resources, which could otherwise be used for the treatment of COVID patients. A doctor’s union also warned that it is impossible to host the Olympics safely in the current scenario.
IPC chief Andrew Parsons recently acknowledged the frustration and anger of the Japanese people over hosting the games amidst a global pandemic. However, he did not endorse scrapping The Games this year. He said that strict measures were in place and limited movement for athletes meant that the chances of an outbreak were remote.
“We want to provide this feeling of certainty,” Parsons said in an interview with news agency AFP. “Because we see that the anger comes from this concept that it’s the Japanese population’s safety versus the Games. I believe they can coexist.”
This was not the first instance where public opinion has been against the Tokyo Olympics. Health and safety concerns have been on people’s and athletes’ minds and several have come out and spoken against The Games moving forward this year.
International superstars like Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal to name a couple, have expressed doubts and concerns against the competition. Japan, especially Tokyo, is also having a hard time containing the spread of the virus, with the national capital being in a state of emergency for several weeks now.
