Japan Determined to Host Tokyo Olympics on Time

Japan is determined to host the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 as it will be dream come true for their people, said Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh Naoki Ito on Wednesday.

The Olympic Games was scheduled to be held in 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Olympic Games organizers recently gave out the indication of hosting the Olympic on time in 2021 as they announced that the torch relay for the Tokyo Olympic Games will begin on March 25, 2021, and travel almost along the same route set before the Games which was postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.

According to media reports, the relay's starting point will still be the J-Village National Training Centre in Fukushima, which was hit hard by an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, while the flame, lit in Olympia of Greece in March, will travel for 121 days through 859 municipalities across all 47 prefectures before it arrives at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on July 23 when the Games is scheduled to start.

On Wednesday, Japanese Ambassador Naoki, during a courtesy call to Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir at his residence told reporters that they are determined to make their dream of hosting the games a reality and ready to accept any challenge to achieve their goal.

The meeting was also attended by The Daily Sun Editor Enamul Hoque Chowdhury, Bangladesh Pratidin Editor Naem Nizam, Kaler Kantho Editor Imdadul Haq Milon and Bashundhara Kings President Imrul Hassan.

''It is a dream come true for the Japanese people. Tokyo hosted the first Olympic Games back in 1964, which is more than half a century ago. So we wanted to have the Olympics this year, but due to coronavirus, we had to postpone the Olympics for one year,'' said Naoki.

''Still, from July 2021, we are determined to host the Olympic Game as a symbol that we are winning this coronavirus pandemic and also as a symbol of international cooperation,'' he said.

''This is a very, very important event so we will have to make it successful.  That will have a positive impact on international co-operation and the exchange of people and economic recovery,'' he said.

Naoki admitted that allocating extra budget for hosting the event will be challenging but they are ready to take up the challenge.

Olympics will cost at least an extra $2.4 billion, with the unprecedented postponement but Naoki remained optimistic.

''Of course, it is a challenge for those who are involved with the Olympic Games. They will have to allocate a budget for that. This is a crisis moment in terms of Olympic preparation due to the COVID-19. But now we know how to live with this virus. The vaccine will be coming soon. But we still need to make arrangements,'' he said.

''But I am sure that they will be able to do this in a beautiful way to celebrate the spirit of the games and as well as to ensure the quality of the game as it is the largest international sports event,'' he said.

''There are many challenges, but I hope we will be able to cope with those problems and make it one of the memorable Olympic Games in history,'' he said.

While Japan is eager to host the Olympics, Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir said he feels that sports in Bangladesh will gain momentum sooner than later as he has belief in the people of Bangladesh.

''It is true that everything came to a standstill when the coronavirus hit but things are changing now and we hope that our country will also move forward leaving behind the obstacles,'' said Bashundhara Group Managing Director Sayem Sobhan Anvir.

''We believe in Bangladesh and we are confident that we can overcome all obstacles and move forward,'' he concluded.