The Australian softball team will visit Japan on June 1st to stay in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, for the pre-camp for the Tokyo Olympics.
This is the first time an overseas team has come to Japan for a preliminary training camp since the Tokyo tournament was postponed due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection.
The Australian representative of softball will hold a pre-camp for the Games in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, which is the host town of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
According to Ota City, about 30 players and staff will come to Japan on the 1st and stay until mid-July just before the tournament, and will practice at the baseball stadium in the city for a month and a half.
According to the Cabinet Secretariat, which serves as the secretariat of the host town, it is the first time for an overseas team to come to Japan for a preliminary training camp since the Tokyo tournament was postponed due to the spread of the new corona infection.
According to the city, all athletes and staff have been vaccinated before coming to Japan, and PCR tests will be conducted every day during their stay.
As a countermeasure against infection, in principle, the baseball stadium restricts access to anyone other than those involved, and we also ask players to refrain from going out except for the round trip between the hotel where they are staying and the baseball stadium.
City officials will procure daily necessities if desired.
The players are scheduled to start practicing on the 5th of next month.
Accept Ota City Welcome ceremony is not held and exchanges are online
In Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, softball is popular in school club activities, and the Australian national team has stayed as a campsite before international competitions such as the World Championships.
Ota City became the host town of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics three years ago (2018) because the athletes continued to interact with each other by visiting elementary schools in the city between exercises. ..
The Ota City Culture and Sports General Affairs Division, which has been preparing for acceptance, has created a detailed schedule such as practice and meal times during the stay before the players and staff come to Japan, and will also hold practice games with the business team. It means that you are adjusting in the direction.
On the other hand, Ota City did not hold a welcome ceremony due to the fact that "priority measures such as prevention of spread" were issued due to the spread of the new corona infection, and the originally planned exchange with local children was online. We are considering implementing it.
Masayoshi Shimizu, the mayor of Ota City, said, "The significance of the host town has diminished by half because of the lack of interaction with children, but the relationship with the Australian national team has been long and we decided to continue the interaction in the future. If Ota City does it properly, it may be a good proof that the pre-camp in the host town is okay. I think that the players also know the infection situation in Japan, so it is good to take measures while sharing information. I hope I can make good grades. "
The hotel to stay at
At the hotel in Ota City, where the Australian representative of softball is staying, we are preparing for acceptance, such as measures against infection with the new coronavirus.
This hotel has been used as accommodation for athletes when they camp in Ota City before the international competition.
In the pre-camp from June 1st, about 30 athletes and staff will stay for a month and a half.
As a measure against the infection of the new corona, athletes and staff will rent out the 8th and 9th floors of the hotel and use the 3rd floor as a shared space so that they will not enter other floors with general guests. Is to do.
On the 3rd floor, there are rooms for meals and meetings, and rooms for weight training and other equipment for athletes who cannot go out.
In addition, we ask that you use the back door to enter and exit the hotel, and that you do not use the elevator when ordinary guests are on board.
At the hotel, we have created two types of paper that call attention to such usage, an English version for athletes and staff and a Japanese version for general guests, and posted them in the elevator.
On the other hand, during the stay of the athletes, hotel employees were also supposed to undergo PCR tests every day, and about 200 test kits were stored.
In addition, since there is a thorough vegetarian player called "vegan" who does not eat animal ingredients including eggs and dairy products, he has started to create another menu for meals in a hurry, specializing in sugar and Kanazawa in Okinawa. It means that they ordered bread that does not use eggs made in the store.
Naoki Katsura, the manager of the hotel, said, "I would like to take thorough measures against infection, and make preparations so that the staff will not be infected and the players will not be infected. I hope that the players can spend their time at the hotel with peace of mind." I was talking.
The locals
A man in his twenties living in Ota City said, "I think it would be good if infection measures were taken. There is concern about infection at the Tokyo Olympics." I think it's okay if we take proper measures such as making the audience unattended. I hope that this will be an opportunity for sports to flourish in Ota City. "
In addition, a woman in her 60s said, "I think it would be good if we could accept the measures properly. I want all the players to do their best."
On the other hand, a woman in her 70s who lives in the city said, "I'm not against it, but I'm not happy. Softball has been popular in Ota City for a long time, but I heard that pre-camps have been canceled in various places, so even in Ota City. I thought it was canceled. "