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Troubled Tokyo 2020 set to open under Covid-19 cloud
The most troubled Olympics in modern history is finally getting under way in Tokyo on Friday (July 23), struggling to emerge from the clutches of Covid-19 after a one-year postponement following a build-up marred by scandal and controversy.
Eight years after gold ticker tape rained down as Tokyo celebrated winning the right to stage the Games, Friday’s opening ceremony will take place with the Japanese capital in a state of emergency.
Fears that the global gathering of 11,000 athletes could trigger a colossal superspreader event have prompted organisers to clamp the Games in a biosecure straitjacket.
Pandemic restrictions mean that for the first time in Olympic history, no domestic or overseas spectators will be allowed , to attend the Games.
Athletes, support staff and the media are subject to strict Covid-19 protocols, including regular testing and daily health checks.
Sightseeing trips are forbidden, meaning that for the most part, athletes will be prevented from straying outside their accommodation or competition venues.
Public opinion has consistently found that a majority of Japanese are against the Games, with opinion ranging from weary indifference to outright hostility.
The most recent poll from the Asahi Shimbun newspaper found 55 per cent of respondents were against holding them this summer.
“I’m losing interest altogether. I feel like I can’t really wholeheartedly welcome the Olympics and I just don’t really feel any joy in it,” Tokyo resident Seira Onuma told Agence France-Presse.
“I’m even not sure if I will watch the Games on TV.”
Friday’s opening ceremony – traditionally a highlight of any Summer Games with the parade of nations and lighting of the Olympic flame before several thousand athletes – will be drastically pared back.
Fewer than 1,000 dignitaries and officials will be present at the 68,000-seat Olympic Stadium for the traditional extravaganza, which gets under way at 8pm local time (7pm Singapore time).
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito will be chief among the VIPs, along with a smattering of world leaders and senior figures including United States First Lady Jill Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country will host the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
But in a sign of the antipathy towards the Olympics, several top sponsors including Toyota, Panasonic, Fujitsu and NEC will not be sending executives to the ceremony.
“It is turning into an Olympics that cannot get understanding (from the public) in various ways,” Toyota’s operating officer Jun Nagata said.
Japan’s emperor meanwhile acknowledged the difficulties of laying on the Games in a pandemic, describing it as a “far from easy task” in remarks to International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach.
Emperor Naruhito’s remarks came as Tokyo registered a further 1,979 infections on Thursday, the highest figure since a winter surge of the disease.
IOC chief Bach, who for months has battled away calls to postpone or cancel the Games, insists the Olympics can be held safely.
“Over the past 15 months we had to take many decisions on very uncertain grounds,” Mr Bach said this week. “We had doubts every day. There were sleepless nights.
“We can finally see at the end of the dark tunnel. Cancellation was never an option for us. The IOC never abandons the athletes… we did it for the athletes.”
There are also hefty financial incentives in play. Insiders estimate the IOC would have been on the hook for around US$1.5 billion (S$2.05 billion) in lost broadcasting revenues if the Games had been cancelled.
Olympic organisers meanwhile will be forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief as attention finally shifts to sporting action, after a turbulent road to the Games.
The build-up has been dogged by scandals ranging from corruption during the bidding process to plagiarism allegations over the design of the Tokyo 2020 logo.
The controversies rumbled up to the eve of the Games, when on Thursday the opening ceremony’s director was sacked for making a joke referencing the Holocaust in a 1998 video.
Back in the sporting arenas, the Games could see a new generation of Olympic stars emerge after a decade dominated by the likes of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.
In the swimming competition, which gets under way on Saturday, Caeleb Dressel could target seven gold medals.
In track and field, the likes of Norway’s 400m hurdler Karsten Warholm and the US’ Sydney McLaughlin will be among those hoping to emerge as household names.
Both Warholm and McLaughlin have set world records in the 400m hurdles this year.
Gymnastics meanwhile will see Simone Biles attempt to crown her dazzling career by equalling Larisa Latynina’s record of nine Olympic gold medals.
The 24-year-old American gymnast is one of the few returning superstars from the Rio Olympics.
New Olympic sports will also be on display in Tokyo, with surfing, skateboarding, sport climbing and karate all making their bow.
-AFP
Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD had targeted their Group F opener as their best chance to get a win on the board at the Club World Cup, with Brazil’s Fluminense and German side Borussia Dortmund expected to advance from Group F.
South Africa’s Sundowns took all three points with a 1-0 win over the South Koreans and went top of the group after Fluminense drew 0-0 with Dortmund.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
African and Asian teams are not expected to make much of an impact at the new-look 32-team Club World Cup so points are like gold dust for the likes of the Sundowns and Ulsan.
KEY QUOTES
Miguel Cardoso, Mamelodi Sundowns coach: “We prepared tactically and strategically very well, and then we found a commitment between everybody. I think it was clear we made a very wonderful first half. It was important that we could keep the pace and not stray from the game plan in the second half, so that we could score a second goal that for little details or little centimetres, we could not do.”
Kim Pan-gon, Ulsan HD head coach: “We had targeted this game to win because we understand the other two teams in the group, Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund, are favourites. Our players gave their best efforts in this game and we’re very proud of their efforts. Now we need to recover quickly for the next game.”
-Reuters
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With a year until Mexico makes history as the first three-time World Cup host, the dream of a spectacular showcase is colliding with the practical challenges of modernising the iconic Azteca Stadium for global soccer’s premier event.
Beneath the imposing silhouette of Mexico’s football cathedral – where Pele dazzled with Brazil in 1970 and Maradona’s ‘hand of God’ propelled Argentina to glory in 1986 – construction crews tackle the formidable task of bringing one of the sport’s most storied venues into the 21st century.
The stakes are magnified as the ‘Santa Ursula colossus’ will host the tournament’s opening match, a global spectacle that will focus the world’s attention on Mexico from day one.
Renovations will expand the stadium’s capacity from 87,000 to 90,000, with upgrades centred on meeting FIFA standards through new changing rooms, enhanced hospitality zones, revamped VIP areas and additional seating in spaces previously occupied by boxes and lounges.
While government officials and football administrators envisioned the project as a symbol of national pride, the renovation process has eroded trust between developers, local residents and other stakeholders.
Stadium administrators announced in February that they had secured a 2.1 billion peso ($110.19 million) credit line from local financial group Banorte – along with a controversial new name: Estadio Banorte.
FIFA regulations mean the stadium will be referred to as “Estadio Ciudad de Mexico” during the World Cup, yet the rebranding has sparked a fierce backlash from some fans, who view it as sacrificing football heritage for commercial interests.
HARSH REALITY
The backlash over the stadium’s new name represents only one facet of the mounting tensions. Box and suite holders – some with relationships spanning decades – have threatened legal action after FIFA announced it would commandeer their seats during the tournament, overriding established contracts.
One member of the Mexican Association of Box Holders has already filed a legal challenge to defend access rights.
Beyond the stadium walls, frustration runs equally deep. Residents of Santa Ursula and surrounding neighbourhoods fear that promised infrastructure improvements like pedestrian bridges and transit lines will fail to address fundamental issues including inadequate lighting, water shortages and persistent traffic congestion.
“We’re not the stadium’s backyard,” one local resident told Expansion Politica. “But we’re always treated that way.”
By contrast, Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico’s other two host cities, face fewer obstacles.
Guadalajara’s 48,000-seat stadium, opened in 2010, has already hosted major events including the 2011 Pan American Games, while Monterrey’s 53,500-capacity venue, inaugurated in 2015, needs only minor upgrades – primarily new turf and a pitch ventilation system.
“We’ll install a system to ventilate and oxygenate the pitch before replacing the grass,” said Alejandro Hutt, Monterrey’s Host City Manager. “That will be an important legacy from the World Cup and beyond.”
As construction continues, Javier Aguirre’s Mexico squad are building towards a crucial summer, with a Gold Cup title defence ahead and friendly matches against Turkey this week, followed by Japan and South Korea in September.
After failing to advance beyond the group stage at Qatar 2022 – their worst World Cup performance since 1978 – Mexican fans crave more than just a well organised tournament. They want to see Mexico break the ‘fifth-game‘ curse and reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1986, the last time they were World Cup hosts.
-Reuters
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All contenders are now known for this year’s President Federation Cup grand finale, following Saturday’s elimination of Edo Queens and Ibom Angels in the women’s semi-finals.
Multiple-winners Rivers Angels saw off the stiff challenge of Ibom Angels of Uyo 1-0 in Aba, while Nasarawa Amazons bumped Edo Queens 2-0 in Ayingba.
Cup holders Rivers Angels, who have won the competition nine times, will have their hands full against 2005 and 2019 champions Nasarawa Amazons of Lafia.
In the men’s competition, Abakaliki FC of Ebonyi are getting set to tackle Kwara United FC in the final.
Results of Semi Finals (Women)
- Rivers Angels (Rivers) 1-0 Ibom Angels (Akwa Ibom)
- Edo Queens (Edo) 0-2 Nasarawa Amazons (Nasarawa)
Results of Semi-Finals (Men)
- Abakaliki FC (Ebonyi) 0-0 Ikorodu City (Lagos) – Abakaliki FC win 5-4 on penalties
- Kwara United (Kwara) 1-0 Rangers Int’l (Enugu)
WOMEN’S FINAL
- Rivers Angels vs Nasarawa Amazons
MEN’S FINAL
- Abakaliki FC VS Kwara United
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