Olympics
CONSTRUCTION WORK ON TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC STADIUM COMPLETED
BY DUNCAN MACKAY.
Construction work on the new National Stadium, the main venue for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, has been completed at a final cost of ¥157 billion (£1.2 billion/$1.4 billion/€1.3 billion), the Japan Sport Council (JSC) announced.
Construction of the Stadium, a joint project between Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, building firm Taisei Corp and design firm Azusa Sekkei Co, started in December 2016.
The 60,000-capacity Stadium is due to host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as athletics.
The Stadium is due to be officially handed over to the JSC at noon on November 30 following a final inspection.
The new arena, constructed on the site of the National Stadium originally built in 1958 and which staged the 1964 Olympic Games, features a plant-covered facade designed to maintain harmony with the natural landscape of the neighboring Meiji Jingu Gaien area.
The eaves of the distinctive roof are made of wood gathered from the country’s 47 prefectures.
The Stadium is the
second to be approved after initial plans were scrapped in 2015 by Prime
Minister Shinzō Abe due to spiralling costs.
It meant construction of the Stadium began about 14 months later than planned after the original design by the late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid was discarded following a public outcry over the spiraling cost.
The delay also meant it could not host matches during the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, including the final held earlier this month.
A special inauguration event is due to take place at the Stadium on December 21.
The JSC has revealed that the inauguration event – titled “Hello Our Stadium” – will tie together sport, music and culture.
Jamaica’s eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt will be among a series of Olympic and Paralympic athletes participating in a unique relay, dubbed “One Race”.
The Emperor’s Cup soccer final on January 1 is scheduled to be the first public sporting event held at the venue.
Japan’s Education Minister Koichi Hagiuda has announced that the Government has decided not to draw up a plan to privatise the new Stadium post-Games until after the autumn in 2020.
According to Hagiuda, the privatisation scheme has been pushed back for security reasons, as detailed architectural drawings of the Stadium cannot be shown to potential bidders for the time being.
After undergoing renovations, the stadium is scheduled to start commercial operation in the second half of 2022.
-insidethegames
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.
Olympics
Despite Egypt winning 3 medals at Paris Olympics, President Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul
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.
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
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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