Tokyo Olympics / Para Canceling and delaying "advance camps" in Japan

Tokyo Olympics / Para Cancellation and postponement of “advance camps” in Japan 17:53 on March 17

Preliminary camps, where athletes from various countries camp in Japan before the Games for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, have been canceled or postponed by at least 16 local governments nationwide due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection I found out in the NHK interview.

Local governments around the country have been preparing for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics by inviting advance camps where athletes from various countries will camp before the Games.

However, NHK interviewed local governments in response to the spread of the new coronavirus, and found that the implementation of pre-camps was affected.

At least 16 such as Kitakyushu City, which had planned to accept Colombian national table tennis and gymnastics players, Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, which attracted Polish national judo and athletics, and Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, which invited British national wheelchair basketball. Preliminary camps have already been canceled or postponed by local governments.

In addition, in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture, the Chinese gymnastics team was planning to have a training camp next month, but the Chinese gymnastics association has requested cancellation.

In host towns where players and residents interact, at least 59 projects such as a project to send high school students to Costa Rica in the partner country planned by Matsukawa Town, Nagano Prefecture, and experience making Palau folk art in Hitachi Omiya City, Ibaraki Prefecture, etc. Local government events were canceled or postponed.

In addition, travel is restricted, and many local governments are unable to visit or be in contact with the person in charge of the partner country or region, and this important event for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics is also a new coronavirus. Influence is spreading.

In Vietnam host town Yamaguchi Kudamatsu

Due to the spread of the new coronavirus, Kudamatsu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, which is now hosting the host country in Vietnam for the Tokyo Olympics, has canceled the planned training camp for badminton women's candidate athletes this month.

Kudamatsu has become the host town of Vietnam for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, and this month, one of the badminton women's candidates was preparing for a training camp in advance.

However, on the 27th of last month, it was learned that the badminton league in Vietnam had contacted the city to stop the training camp.

According to the city, the Federation has said, "With the spread of the new coronavirus, it is not possible to move players abroad."

In Kudamatsu City, a gymnasium that has become one of the practice areas has spent 267.5 million yen, and has been promoting the installation of more than 70 cooling and heating facilities, and elementary school students in the city support the players. We have been making preparations for acceptance, such as making postscripts.

During the training camp, players were also considering visiting elementary schools and appearing on local radio.

Kazuo Nakamura, Chief of the Lifelong Learning Promotion Division of Kudamatsu City, said, "It's unfortunate because it's an important time for the players, but I'm sorry. Talking

Polish Judo mentoring Japanese "really disappointing"

The Polish judo team was planning to have a preliminary camp this month in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture.However, since the trip to Japan, where infection is widespread, could make it impossible to return to Japan, the practice was canceled.

Japanese Kotaro Sasaki, coaching the team, told a videophone interview, "I'm so sorry that Takasaki City had warm support and prepared a wonderful training environment. I've been receiving it, but I'm looking forward to seeing you again and I hope you're healthy.Thanks to the athletes, it's always quicker to decide how to host the Olympics in the future. I want to do my best, taking into account the worst circumstances. "

Expert "Communicate with the host country and team"

Professor Yoshiyuki Mano of Waseda University, who specializes in sports policy, said, "I think there is a great deal of upset in the countries that send athletes to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. It is important to get the best possible situation, and I think there will be a difference in conditions between teams that can and cannot camp. "

"If you want to create an intangible legacy of the Olympic Games throughout Japan, it is desirable to secure a place of friendship with athletes from different countries, such as pre-campsites and host towns. It's important to communicate, share accurate information, and continue to prepare as before. "

Local governments that were suspended or postponed

NHK canceled or postponed the pre-camp for overseas teams due to the spread of the new coronavirus as of 17th this month, and at least 16 municipalities nationwide have completed the camp.

In Honjo City, Saitama Prefecture, the Paralympic Taekwondo team from Turkey was scheduled to camp in the city from 10th to 19th this month, but this has been postponed.

Also, in Kazo City, Saitama Prefecture, the Olympic and Judo teams from South America and Colombia were scheduled to camp, but on 26th of last month, the embassy received a message saying that there was an instruction from a medical professional and I would like to see it off.

Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture was scheduled to hold a training camp from 10th of this month until 2nd of February, one of the Baltic States, the Lithuanian Olympic and Paralympic athletes, but this was canceled.

Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, is a host town in Eastern Europe and Poland, and this month, the judo team was scheduled to hold a training camp with a team of land and hammer throw girls from the end of this month to next month, but it was decided to be canceled That is.

In Urayasu City, Chiba Prefecture, next month, boys in wheelchair basketball boys in the UK were planning to camp, but they were told that they had to be careful about the health management of the players, and it was decided to cancel That is.

In Osaka Daito City, a wheelchair basketball team from South America and Colombia was planning to hold a training camp for two weeks starting on the 5th of next month.

In Yamato Koriyama City, Nara Prefecture, the representative team of swimming in Hong Kong was planning a training camp for 17 days from 23 this month to next month, but due to the Japanese government's measures at the shore, it was notified that entry into Japan became difficult, etc. It means that you have entered.

In Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, the national team of the Mongolian Olympic Archery was scheduled to hold a training camp from last month to the beginning of this month, but the training camp was canceled with the notification of the Mongolian government.

The Mongolian Paralympic Powerlifting team was scheduled to be held in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture, and the Mongolian Olympic and Paralympic Judo Team was scheduled to camp in Izunokuni City, but both have been postponed.

In Mimasaka City, Okayama Prefecture, the U.S. Olympic rugby team was planning to have a training camp for the purpose of inspection, but was canceled due to the postponement of the international tournament scheduled to participate in Hong Kong after the training camp. is.

In Kudamatsu City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Vietnam's Olympic badminton women's national team was supposed to camp at the end of this month, but the Vietnamese side notified that they did not want to drop the athletes to the airport, and the cancellation was decided.

In Fukutsu City and Koga City in Fukuoka Prefecture, the representative team of the Olympic Judo team in Eastern Europe and Romania was planning to camp from this month to next month, but it was notified that the camp will be canceled due to the cancellation of the world competition etc. That is.

Kitakyushu was planning to host 10 sports camps as host towns in South America and Colombia. Of these, the Olympic table tennis and gymnastics teams reported that they would cancel the camp.

In Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture, a team of German Olympic judo boys was scheduled to hold a training camp next month, but the German side notified that the training camp could not be secured due to the spread of infection. That is.

In addition, in Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture, the national team of gymnastics in China was planning to camp from 25th to 29th of next month, but the city has requested cancellation from the gymnastics association in China.