As the dark shadow of the novel coronavirus spreads ever further across the globe, the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games were, on March 24 postponed to 2021 – though in what looks like a smart move for merchandizers and marketers, the brand will remain “Toyko 2020.”
After an initial period of shock, awe and angst most of Japan seems to be okay with it – but now the country has more pressing concerns.
The Olympic flame proved a great draw for the public. On March 21, nearly 52,000 people crowded JR Sendai Station in Northeastern Japan to see the flame before the relay, thus spreading Olympic fever — and possibly a nastier kind of fever: Covid-19.
Tokyo lockdown?
Thus far, Japan has been reporting surprisingly low numbers of Covid-19 infections. It has been conducting minimal tests, and has not implemented the kind of lockdowns seen across parts of China, Europe and the United States. Despite school closures and sumo playing to empty stadia, much of the densely populated country has carried on as per normal.
Some observers are unimpressed. In a rather undiplomatic letter to German citizens in Japan posted on the Embassy Of Germany’s web site on March 24, the embassy did not mince words in discussing Japan’s coronavirus handling. “The risk of infection in Japan cannot be assessed seriously. It can be assumed that there are a high number of unreported infections due to the small number of tests carried out.” It also added that tests were only performed, if at all, under stringent conditions.
Now that the Olympic horizon has receded to an uncertain date in 2021, PR pressures on Tokyo City Hall to reassure a worried world may have lifted.
With Tokyoites cavorating en masse under the cherry blossoms, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has taken a harder line than heretofore. Announcing that the disease could be spreading faster than the Olympic torch relay, she is mulling closing down the entire mega-city.
A dress rehearsal was held this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Though there was no actual order for persons to stay inside and police were not detailed to enforce the semi-lockdown, most Tokyoites followed the governor’s advice and stayed behind closed doors. Many – not all – shops and restaurants were closed and the iconic Shibuya crossing was virtually deserted on Saturday evening.
On Monday, things are set to return to normal — with uncertain results — while the country renews its grapple with the ramifications of Olympic postponement.
Japan supports delay
Kyodo News Service conducted a public opinion survey, between March 26th and 28th, publishing the results on Sunday. Some 78.7% of the Japanese public felt postponing the Olympics for a year was appropriate and good; only 11.1% felt it should be postponed for two years. Roughly 6% of the population felt it should be called off, and a mere 1.8% felt it should be held within the year.
Amongst the 1.8% might be Governor Koike.
Though she is now sounding a warning on the virus, on March 12 — the day after the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic — she told a gaggle of reporters: “It can’t be said that the announcement of a pandemic would have no impact… But I think cancellation is unthinkable.”
Winners and losers
If you’re an Olympics goods collector or merchandizer, have no fear: Your Tokyo 2020 polo shirt, key chain and souvenir mascot need no re-brands.
In a March 24 teleconference, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach not only agreed to move the Olympics to some time in 2021 but also to keep the name the same: “The Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games.”
This proved understandably confusing to the general public so the Mainichi Shimbun ran a helpful Q&A for its readers, as follows:
Q: “Why will the Games still be called ‘Tokyo 2020’ if they will be held in 2021?”
A: “Bach approved using the same name for the Games, even if held in 2021. Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, also said: “We have no choice but to think that the Games have been extended [to 2021], but we don’t need to go as far as to changing its impression [by calling it the 2021 Olympics].”
Q: “Why will the postponed Olympics still be called ‘Tokyo 2020?’”
A: “Torches, medals and various other official merchandise have already been made using the name ‘Tokyo 2020.’ If the name changes, it will cause concerns about possible additional costs.”
“Possible additional costs” is an understatement, Fortunately, the move appears to have worked. On Amazon’s Japan website, few items have had their prices marked down, indicating that the paraphernalia market is, indeed, safe.
Most venues planned to be used for the Games in 2020 will still be used in 2021. Even so, some facilities – notably, the Tokyo Olympic Village — are in limbo.
The postponement will delay the handover of the highly-sought after condominiums at the village, originally set aside for athletes’ use in July-August of this year. That leaves the developers and future residents in the lurch; hundreds of the units were to be converted into commercial dwellings after the Olympics ended.
Mitsui Fudosan, one the developers involved in the project, is flummoxed. “We hadn’t factored in a postponement,” the company announced.
And there are other numerous small and big problems to be resolved.
What should be done with the giant clock in the middle of Roppongi Hills counting down the days until the Olympics start? Turn it off? Reset it?
As for people holding hard-won tickets for the Games’ various events, no one knows what will happen to them in the wake of the changed timing.
Athletes, coaches and teams are all in limbo, awaiting a date. What will happen to the various sports’ tournaments that had been scheduled for after the Olympics in 2021? Will athletes have to re-qualify for the Games if too much time passes?
And can athletes in peak form for this year’s Olympics re-peak in 2021? As one Japanese athlete quipped: “Age is the one competitor you can’t defeat.”
The postponement will certainly cost money; it is unclear whether contingency funds of 27 billion yen will be enough. The cost of maintaining facilities and possibly refunding tickets, all have to be considered.
At the end of 2019, organizers estimated the total cost of the 2020 Tokyo Games to be around ¥1.35 trillion ($12.6 billion). However, Japan’s Board of Audit came to a far higher estimate estimate — 3 trillion yen ($27 billion).
The Olympic countdown clock in Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills needs a reset. Photo: Jake Adelstein
Silver linings
There are some upsides.
A Tokyo smoking ban that was designed to come in ahead of the Summer Games — prohibiting smoking in restaurants, bars and closed spaces – is still set for implementation on April 1. That’s a gold-medal boon for Tokyoites’ health.
And in 2021, the Tokyo Olympics may not take place during the sweltering Japanese summer, a time when death from heat-stroke is a very real possibility.
It is widely understood that the mid-summer time slot is chosen by the IOC for the benefit of their deep-pocketed media partners, so that the Games do not clash with the European and US autumn sport seasons.
Tokyo made efforts to address the heat issue with an eyebrow-raising statement made during the bid process for the Games. A document submitted by Tokyo to the International Olympic Committee, originally stated: “The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games 16-day competition period will be from Saturday 25 July to Sunday 9 August …with many days of mild and sunny weather, this period provides an ideal climate for athletes to perform at their best.”
The IOC was unimpressed and unilaterally moved the marathon to Northern Japan’s cooler Sapporo — against the shrill protests of Koike.
In 2021, it is possible that the Games will be held at a more seasonally ideal time earlier or later in the year; they took place in October for the 1964 Summer Olympics in Japan.
Whether the IOC and their moneyed media sponsors would agree is as yet unknown.
Abe’s farewell
Still a handful of newspapers editorials, have already preemptively scolded Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for declaring the Games should take place before summer 2021.
His term as prime minister is expected to end in September of 2021 but, as one paper notes, “Perhaps he does have the ulterior motive of finishing off his final term with a bang — the Games. However, the Olympics are not hosted for the sake of an administration’s legacy.”
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
