Olympic partner newspaper calls for cancellation of the event ... "a threat to health"

The Japanese newspaper "Asahi", the official partner of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, today, Wednesday, called for the cancellation of the event it described as a "threat to health", at a time when the country is currently witnessing a fourth wave of the outbreak of the Corona pandemic.

In its editorial, the newspaper urged Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to "study the situation calmly and objectively" and "make the decision to cancel the Olympic Games this summer."

And less than two months before the Games, which were postponed a year due to the pandemic and due between July 23 and August 8 next, the Japanese population stands against the holding of the games, according to several opinion polls.

"Asahi" believes that in the face of skepticism about the health situation, the opening of these games will be a "bet" that he believes is "unacceptable."

The newspaper recalls the "confusing statements" of the Australian Vice President of the International Olympic Committee, John Coates, last week, in which he said that the Olympic Games will be held even if the city of Tokyo remains in a state of emergency.

The editorial criticized the "selfish nature" of the International Olympic Committee, which "appeared again clearly" in those statements.

Two prominent figures in the Japanese business sector have expressed their opposition to the games in recent weeks.

Masayoshi Son, head of the technology investment giant SoftBank, tweeted on Sunday, "Does the International Olympic Committee have the right to decide whether (the Games) will be held or not?"

"If you think about what people have to endure, we might have a lot to lose" if the authorities proceed with the Olympics, he added.

For his part, the CEO of the "Rakuten" e-commerce company, Hiroshi Mikitani, described the games as a "suicide mission" earlier this month.

"The danger is very great and (...) I am against holding the Tokyo Olympics this year," he told CNN.

The president of the Olympic organizing committee, Seko Hashimoto, acknowledged that the organizers were facing "significant" opposition.

"There is a large number of Japanese who are worried," she said at a board meeting.

She reiterated that the number of participants would be determined from abroad and would face severe restrictions while in Japan, and that the games would not put additional pressure on the overburdened local medical system.

"We are preparing for the safe residence of the games, and preparations are continuing strongly," she added.

Between the street and the costs

Japan did not witness a major outbreak of the virus, as the total number of deaths reached 12 thousand, but the high number of infected people in the recent period has led to the exhaustion of hospitals and the medical body.

Last week, the Japanese government announced the expansion of the state of emergency imposed in the country due to Corona, to include Tokyo and Osaka, to eight other provinces to limit commercial activity until the end of this month, as reports indicated the possibility of extending the state of emergency for another three weeks.

A recent poll showed that more than 80 percent of Japanese oppose Tokyo hosting the Games, after extending the state of emergency until the end of this month in light of facing the fourth wave of the virus.

The United States of America warned its citizens Monday not to travel to Japan, indicating the growing danger of the Corona virus epidemic in the Asian country two months before the start of the games.

The Nomura Research Institute said Tuesday that canceling the Games would cost Japan about 1.8 trillion yen (16.6 billion dollars). But he warned that the country may suffer greater economic damage from the holding of the Games, if the high number of injuries leads to a new emergency.

The International Olympic Committee has never revealed the revenue specifically projected from the Tokyo Games, because it only publishes its revenues in a four-year cycle: those of the 2013-2016 Olympics that include the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics in 2014. 2016 amounted to 5.7 billion dollars (4.8 billion euros).

Three-quarters of it comes from broadcasting rights that specialists estimate at least $ 1.5 billion (1.23 billion euros) for Tokyo, and should therefore be compensated. The rest will come from the international sponsorship program and will again involve negotiations with each sponsor.

The disappearance of these windfall gains would not endanger the International Olympic Committee, which maintains only 10% and has reserves of more than $ 1 billion.

In turn, it will dry up the entire sporting movement, as it funds the National Olympic Committees and international federations that have already been weakened by the epidemic.

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