Olympics
PETITION LAUNCHED TO HOUSE HOMELESS IN TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC VILLAGE DURING COVID-19 CRISIS
BY MICHAEL HOUSTON
An online petition calling for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Village to be turned into a homeless shelter has been launched amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Village in Harumi was set to be used at this year’s Games but they have now been postponed until next year due to the worldwide coronavirus crisis.
Those who the petition aims to help are rough sleepers and those who lost their homes during the pandemic.
Onishi Ren, the chairman of the Independent Living Support Center Moyai, started the campaign, which now has more than 52,000 signatures.
“Some people are losing their income or becoming unemployed due to the simultaneous closure of elementary, junior high, and high schools to prevent infections, self-restraint for events, etc, and shortened business hours at retail stores,” said Ren.
“In the future, if the time until the end of the infection is prolonged, more people may be in financial distress or may lose their homes.”
There are approximately 1,000 homeless people in Tokyo, and a further 4,000 people who “live” in 24-hour internet cafes which have now been forced to close.
The petition urges the Village to be used now that the Games have been delayed until 2021, with the new Opening Ceremony date of July 23.
Ren added: “To tell the truth, the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been decided.
“As a result, there is room for temporary use of the Olympic Village, a large-scale accommodation facility that can accommodate more than 17,000 people.
“It is reported that Tokyo is considering this Athlete Village as a temporary place to stay for people with mild illness infected with the new coronavirus.
“It may be used in some buildings and rooms, so please open it as an urgent accommodation for people who have lost their residence or place of residence.”
There have been more than 7,600 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Japan, resulting in the deaths of 143 people.
The petition can be found here.
insidethegames has contacted Tokyo 2020 for a reaction.
– 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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