The 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (opening July 24) is five months ahead. This Olympics is not just a global sports festival. It has caused a lot of controversy from the opening match due to the historical peculiarities of Korea and Japan, as well as the radioactivity and murmuring issues. In addition, it is expected to be a very difficult Olympic for the Korean ship carrier because of the heat of over 35 degrees and fear of referees. SBS is planning to introduce various issues related to the Tokyo Olympic Games in 10 report files.


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Currently, the hottest attention of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is whether the Summer Olympics will be canceled or postponed this year due to the new coronavirus in China. Asahi Shimbun, a leading Japanese newspaper, said last month that "the news of the cancellation of the 32nd Olympic and Paralympic Games due to a new coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) spreads and a disturbance broke out. The Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee I dismissed it. "

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has the right to decide whether to cancel or postpone the Olympics, said, "It is true that the World Health Organization (WHO) is discussing new corona infection prevention measures, but it is not true about the suspension of the Tokyo Olympics this summer." Denied. At the press conference, Japan's Olympic Minister Hashimoto Seiko said, "I think the Tokyo Olympics are okay." I will try to do it. "

The history of the modern Olympics begins in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Since then, the Summer Olympics have been canceled three times. The 1916 Congress was not held in World War I, and the 1940 and 44 Congresses were not held in World War II.

As you know, in 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, and Western countries like the United States boycotted the Moscow Moscow Olympics in 1980, and in retaliation, the Eastern European Communist countries, including the Soviet Union, boycotted the 1984 US Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The Olympics were not canceled, even if it was a half Olympic. So the only reason for the 124th Olympic Games to be canceled was World War.

For this reason, Korean sports experts, including the Korea Sports Association, are less likely to see the Tokyo Olympics. IOC can't give up the Olympics unless the new coronavirus spreads out of control and there are no big fatalities around the world, which means it's hard to do so.

The biggest reason is money. The US NBC paid $ 1.45 billion for the Tokyo Olympics. Global broadcast rates are expected to be around $ 3 billion. In addition, the total amount sponsored by 13 'World Wide Partners' such as Samsung Electronics, Coca-Cola, and Toyota Motor Corp. and other incomes totaled about $ 4 billion, which is close to 5 trillion won in Korean money.
The money the Japanese government spent for the Tokyo Olympics is astronomical. Although it has officially budgeted $ 12.6 billion to build infrastructure and run competitions, it is actually twice that amount. Abe's goal was to rebuild and revive Fukushima, a radioactive pollution area. It also aims to attract 40 million foreign tourists. If the Tokyo Olympics are totally canceled, not only will there be significant financial damages, but also political damages.

For this reason, the possibility of the Tokyo Olympics being canceled entirely is currently low. How likely is it to be postponed? Some experts foresee that the IOC may work with Japan to postpone the opening of the competition next summer, not this fall, if the new coronavirus continues to soften. It's hard to postpone this fall because the European Football League is starting a new season and the US major leagues are in the postseason, and the schedule overlaps with big sporting events in major countries.

The epidemic of the Zika virus emerged as the biggest issue ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. Because of this, many sports stars have given up on the Olympics. It is possible that this case will occur again. If fears of new coronavirus infection do not end by April-May, more star athletes will be declared than the Rio Olympics. The IOC and the Japanese government, which has been determined and prepared to 'show something' at the Tokyo Olympics, are struggling to come up with measures to hope that the virus will end soon.

(Photo = Getty Images Korea)