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TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS ISSUE COMMEMORATIVE COINS

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BY DANIEL ETCHELLS

The designs of two JPY¥500 (£3.86/$4.68/€4.22) commemorative coins celebrating next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo have been selected.

As reported by The Japan Times, the Finance Ministry announced that works depicting the famous gods of wind and thunder have been chosen.

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Rajin, the god of thunder is depicted in one of the gold coins

The pair of drawings are based on the “Fujin-Raijin-zu Byobu” – Wind God and Thunder God Screens – which was painted by Tawaraya Sōtatsu in the 17th century and is registered as a national treasure.

They won with 28,741 votes in a public poll.

The Japan Mint solicited votes through Twitter and postcards, and accepted ballots in person at five venues in Tokyo, Osaka, Saitama and Hiroshima.

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That accounted for 43 per cent of all 66,318 votes, according to The Asahi Shimbun, followed by the new National Stadium with 21,053 votes and Mount Fuji with 16,451 votes, at 32 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively.

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Voting was held for two weeks in the middle of June.

“It was our first attempt to choose a coin design via a public vote, so we hope the coin will contribute to the excitement around the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games,” a Finance Ministry official was reported as saying by The Japan Times.

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Fujin, the god of wind is depicted in one of the coins

“The three options were all excellent designs. 

“As the public chose the wind god and thunder god for the coins, we hope everyone will treasure the coins for many years to come.”

Raijin, the god of thunder, is depicted on the Olympic coin, while Fujin, the god of wind, will adorn the Paralympic coin.

The coins are scheduled to be available at banking institutions across Japan from around next July, the same month in which the 2020 Olympics begin.-insidethegames

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Olympics

Olympic rings removed from Eiffel Tower

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The Eiffel Tower and the Olympic Rings

The Olympic rings installed on the Eiffel Tower since June to celebrate the upcoming Olympic Games were removed from the Parisian monument early on Friday morning, as confirmed by an AFP photographer. But the Paris City Hall intends to replace them with a more permanent structure until 2028.

The five-coloured rings, measuring 29 metres in length and 15 metres in height, were placed between the first and second levels of the iconic iron structure on 7 June. 

According to Inside the Games publication, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo  wants the Olympic symbol to continue decorating the monument until the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

But the descendants of the tower’s creator, Gustave Eiffel are opposing the move. They are insisting that the Olympic rings are aesthetically in conflict with the concept and design of the Tower.

The 30-tonne rings initially installed on the Eiffel Tower were also not designed to withstand winter weather conditions.

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Despite Egypt winning 3 medals at Paris Olympics, President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul

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Ahmed El-Gendy won Egypt's only gold at the Paris Olympics

Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi ordered  a comprehensive evaluation of sports federations that  participatedat the Paris Olympic Games, following a mission report submitted by the country’s sports minister.

The mandate includes a thorough expenditure check and a performance review to better highlight areas of improvement and fund allocation in future Games.

Additionally, the president plans to take necessary measures against federations —such as limiting funds— that had negative results in the Paris Games.

Egypt’s participation in sports where it lacks a competitive advantage will also be limited, as the president aims to direct resources to promising athletes to ensure optimal results. The president also aims to reduce administrative and technical staff within Olympic delegations and task relevant ministries with preparing future Olympic athletes.

Al-Sisi’s Olympic overhaul is to be presented to the cabinet for approval and urged the government to prioritise amending the sports law for the House of Representatives for review. 

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Egypt took home a total of three medals in the Summer Games. Ahmed El-Gendy triumphed in modern pentathlon, Sara Samir claimed the silver in weightlifting, and 21-year-old fencer Mohamed El-Sayed earned the bronze.

-Insidethegames

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Paris 2024 Games break record ticket sales

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Beach Volleyball - Men's Gold Medal Match - Sweden vs Germany (Ahman/Hellvig vs Ehlers/Wickler) - Eiffel Tower Stadium, Paris, France - August 10, 2024. REUTERS/Esa Alexander/File Photo

Paris 2024 sold a record 12 million tickets for the Olympics and Paralympics, beating the Games record previously set by London 2012, organisers said on Sunday.

Some 9.5 million tickets were sold for the Olympics and 2.5 million for the Paralympics, which end on Sunday.

In 2012, London organisers set the record for the Paralympics with 2.7 million tickets sold but only 8.2 million were sold for the Olympics.

-Reuters

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