Tokyo Olympic Games And Virus Challenges

They, rightly, fear the Games could become a countrywide “superspreader” of Covid infections which could escape the Olympic “bubble,” where 85,000 people are gathering, and infiltrate Japan at a time only 23 per cent of the population has been fully inoculated

- Michael Jansen

JAPAN

The Tokyo Olympic Games are too big to fail but it remains to be seen whether the athletes or Covid will prevail. A second postponement or cancellation of the 2020 games was not a serious option.

First and foremost, delay or cancellation would deal a serious blow to global morale as countries and communities struggle to cope with constant challenges posed by the ever-mutating virus. The revival across the world under Covid-restrictions of football, basketball, baseball and other popular games has boosted spirits and given fans and others hope that life will, eventually, return to something approximating normal, particularly if people accept vaccinations, social distancing, and masking for the time being.

Secondly, further delay would devastate the 11,000 sportsmen and women who have had to maintain training for another year. Some would drop out without taking part, others would find they have lost their “edge,” their competitive advantage honed by hard work and fired by the spirit to compete. For many, the Tokyo Games may be their only chance to compete, for others their last opportunity. Six athletes are representing the UAE at the Olympics, competing in skeet shooting, swimming, judo, track and field and discus-throwing events.

Thirdly, the expenditure on infrastructure and the cost of mounting the games has risen to $30 billion, three times the amount originally budgeted. An extra $2.8 billion was added by the postponement from last summer to this. Due to the Covid-driven ban on spectators at most events, the games will earn far less than the projected revenue of $6.7 billion.