No foreign audiences at the Tokyo Olympics. Are they still games?
As expected and expected, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and local organizers of the Tokyo Olympics have reached a final decision on the admission of foreign spectators to the games, stipulating that travelers from outside Japan will not be able to participate in the summer games.
“ To clarify ticket holders living abroad and to allow them to adapt their travel plans at this stage, the parties on the Japanese side have come to the conclusion that they will not be able to enter Japan at the time of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. “, The Tokyo organizing committee announced in a statement on Saturday. Farewell event of international brotherhood and friendly melting pot of peoples. There will only be games to watch on TV
The government of Japan had just under two weeks ago exerted further pressure on the organizing committee to prevent the presence of foreign spectators, stating that in response to public fears about a scenario of "super-spreder", of super contagions, a due to an influx of hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of people, who could or should have visited the country.
This "final verdict" on the issue echoed the Japanese government's stance that games must be safe especially for, and with, Japanese audiences. The committee said the ban on entry to foreign spectators "will further help ensure safe and secure games for all participants and the Japanese public."
Reuters this month cited the latest polls revealing growing fear and anxiety among locals that the games would lead to a surge in the coronavirus pandemic, citing Japanese newspapers:
Most Japanese do not want international visitors to attend the Games for fear that a large influx could trigger a resurgence of infections, a poll from the Yomiuri newspaper showed.
The poll showed that 77% of respondents were against allowing foreign fans to participate, compared with 18% in favor.
About 48% said they were against allowing viewers access and 45% were in favor.
It was also confirmed that the torch opening ceremony will also be conducted without fans or spectators in the stadium.
Earlier this month, Japanese committee chairman Seiko Hashimoto, recently installed, warned that the health and medical situation in Japan would have to be "perfect" to keep the games without threats to the Japanese athletes or population – strongly suggesting that this would not have been possible with an influx of foreign travelers.
“We would really like people from all over the world to come to a full stage, but unless we are ready to accept them and the medical situation in Japan is perfect, it will cause a lot of problems for visitors from abroad as well,” Hashimoto said. The games will start on Friday 23 July.
At this point, however, let us ask ourselves a question: what remains of the Olympic ideal, of the great festival of peoples and cultures that characterized the Olympics of the 20th century. We will have a Japanese-only environment for Japanese. The others will only have TV
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The article No foreign public at the Tokyo Olympics. Are they still games? comes from ScenariEconomici.it .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/niente-pubblico-straniero-alle-olimpiadi-di-tokio-sono-ancora-dei-giochi/ on Sun, 21 Mar 2021 08:04:51 +0000.