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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Games will not be done with splendour, but will be simplified - Tokyo 2020

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Games will not be done with splendour, but will be simplified - Tokyo 2020
Games will not be done with splendour, but will be simplified - Tokyo 2020
Tokyo officials say the Games will be simplified

VIDEO SHOWS: PRESS CONFERENCE WITH TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS ORGANISING COMMITTEE SHOWS: TOKYO, JAPAN (JUNE 6, 2020) (AGENCY POOL - ACCESS ALL) 1.

TOKYO 2020 ORGANISING COMMITTEE PRESIDENT YOSHIRO MORI AND CEO TOSHIRO MUTO ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE 2.

NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY 3.

(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TOKYO 2020 ORGANISING COMMITTEE CEO, TOSHIRO MUTO, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION) "The Games will not be a grand splendour but will be a simplified Games.

But, in order to simplify the Games, we need to review and understand international federations, NOCs, broadcasters and partners.

These stakeholders must act in unison to make sure of a simplified Games." 4.

ASSEMBLED JOURNALISTS 5.

(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TOKYO 2020 ORGANISING COMMITTEE CEO, TOSHIRO MUTO, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION) "We are the process of identifying over 200 areas where the simplification opportunities will exist.

We are the process of identifying those items, what is possible and what isn't.

Going forward we will be looking at what possible opportunities we will see.

Therefore, we have not got to the level or stage where we have concrete ideas regarding what we can do to simplify the Games." 6.

NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY 7.

(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TOKYO 2020 ORGANISING COMMITTEE PRESIDENT, YOSHIRO MORI, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION) "We never discussed cancellation.

It is not right to discuss based upon speculation regarding hypothetical scenarios.

Therefore, our direction, our policy is to not consider, at all, the cancellation." 8.

NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY 9.

(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TOKYO 2020 ORGANISING COMMITTEE PRESIDENT, YOSHIRO MORI, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION) "People the world-over are shocked by the COVID-19 pandemic so we want to organise something that would be received and accepted by the people of the world as an opportunity to rejoice." 10.

NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY 11.

(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TOKYO 2020 ORGANISING COMMITTEE PRESIDENT, YOSHIRO MORI, SAYING: (OFFICIAL TRANSLATION) "We note the fact that this is the first ever postponed Games in the history of the Olympics.

The world has changed socially, economically and medically so we have explained (to the IOC) how we have re-planned and re-positioned our organization." 12.

NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING STORY: Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said on Wednesday (June 10) that the rearranged Olympics will "not be done with grand splendour", but will be simplified.

The Games, originally scheduled to start next month, were postponed for a year in March by the International Olympic Committee and the Japanese government due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, organisers have been looking at ways to reduce costs and streamline the Games.

Following a virtual presentation to the IOC Executive Board in Lausanne, Tokyo 2020 organisers stressed the need to simplify the Games without going into details about how this would be done.

"The Games will not be a grand splendour but will be a simplified Games," said Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto.

Muto said more than 200 ideas to simplify and reduce costs for the rescheduled Games had been discussed but gave no timeframe as to when these changes might be implemented.

In May, the IOC said they would be putting up to $650 million towards the re-organisation of the Games.

Muto said Tokyo 2020 were still analysing what costs the Japanese side would have to bear.

Despite the unprecedented challenges faced by organisers, Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori was adamant that cancelling the Games had not been discussed with the IOC.

The IOC Executive Board are meeting in Lausanne on Wednesday with President Thomas Bach expected to speak to the media later.

(Production: Jack Tarrant)

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