Orangehair43

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/57173959 The International Olympic Committee (IOC) "must urgently guarantee world-class Covid-19 protections" if this year's Games are to be held safely, the World Players Association (WPA) says. IOC protocols "lack the same rigour and resources" seen in professional team sports, says the WPA, which represents athletes globally.

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1107862/rakuten-chief-tokyo-2020-suicide-mission And more high profile people in Japan are calling for the Games to be cancelled.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/17/tokyo-olympics-more-than-80-of-japanese-oppose-hosting-games-poll80% of Japanese people do not want the games held this July. That is a very high figure for a Goverment not far from an election to completely ignore. The not holding percentages seem to be growing not declining.

The BOA are still waiting for the Goverment to fast track vaccines for Team GB. If fastracking does not come soon as they hope it will they will have to use the Pfizer supplies the IOC providing to safely get both doses done in time for departure.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-57097853 An interesting article from the BBC with a rather poor headline through. I can see no crowds at any of the events being agreed by a Japanese Goverment prepared to lose money rather than get blamed for allowing the games to surge virus cases.

Also Toyota are concerned about the public’s opposition to hosting the games. Not surprised sponsors are concerned because their brand would get damaged if the Games get seen as causing the virus to worsen.

Japan is increasing lockdown restrictions in a bid to reduce the virus circulation before the games.

Good news - http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapacific/2021-05/13/c_139943670.htm Bad news - https://www.insidesport.co/tokyo-olympics-japan-union-doctors-big-statement-it-is-impossible-to-hold-olympics-during-pandemic/

Might they also try and bring some nurses in from overseas and test them daily just like athletes and coaches etc.

https://www.firstpost.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-i-have-mixed-feelings-golfer-hideki-matsuyama-latest-japanese-star-to-voice-doubts-over-safety-of-games-9615721.html https://japantoday.com/category/tokyo-2020-olympics/update-2-olympics-tokyo-2020-sponsor-toyota-conflicted-over-pandemic-olympics https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Rafael_Nadal/97940/rafael-nadal-unsure-about-playing-tokyo-olympics-/ https://www.news18.com/news/sports/31-town-administrations-in-and-around-tokyo-not-to-host-tokyo-olympic-athletes-3732509.html While the IOC is positive athletes and on the ground is less so.

That’s worrying. The minute USOC or Biden says withdrawal should happen then it will happen.

Japan really have been awful in getting vaccines. Their one of the richest nations in the world with a very high elderly population and lots of circulating cases( unlike Australia and New Zealand.)

How big is the stadium? Considering some of the previous venues for the Team championships that seems a lot.

Quite a lot of global sport stars are either Covid deniers so that won’t be a surprise.

Kei Nishikori has also spoken out about the games. ‘Japanese tennis player Kei Nishikori has doubts about whether the IOC and local organisers are doing enough to plan for a worst-case scenario of "hundreds" or "thousands" of coronavirus cases at the Tokyo Olympics. Or whether it's even still feasible to hold the Games when a state of emergency has been extended in Tokyo and other parts of Japan because of the pandemic. "I don't know what they are thinking, and I don't know how much they are thinking about how they are going to make a bubble, because this is not 100 people like these tournaments," Nishikori said after winning his first-round match at the Italian Open. "It's 10,000 people in the village. So I don't think it's easy, especially what's happening right now in Japan. It's not doing good. Well, not even (just) Japan. You have to think all over the world right now." ‘ https://wwos.nine.com.au/tennis/tokyo-olympics-2021-kei-nishikori-casts-doubts-on-games-amid-covid19/ae5cd83e-bbdd-481d-8860-2f8ad0d1ccfb

Most probably want them postponed to 2022 rather than cancelled. Fundamentally Japan is a democracy so it’s Government has to follow what the people want or it could find itself out of office in the autumn.

Elections due in Japan this autumn as well. Would you like to be the Government getting the blame for an event the majority wanted cancelled causing deaths and harm? The main opposition have called for the games to postponed or cancelled.

The BBC just gave a push notification saying Naomi Osaka is not sure if the games should go ahead. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/57062008

Japanese PM’s have an history of having to resign after the public turn against them. Abe was an exception from the norm but Suga will know that if the public are still opposed at the end of July and the games makes the Covid situation worse for the locals he will take the brunt of the blame.

Is the Vaccine available to all those involved or just athletes?

RTE News has just announced all Irish athletes at Olympics and Paralympics will be offered the Pfizer vaccine before the games after a deal between Pfizer and the IOC.

That’s good. More likely Japan is is preparing that People travelling from the highest risk countries to simply hotel quarantine outside of Tokyo for 10-14 days before being allowed near the City. They must be plenty of rural hotels that could isolate all the staff throughout the quarantine and for 10-14 days after to prevent an increased risk to the Local population.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/03/japan-nurses-voice-anger-at-call-to-volunteer-for-tokyo-olympics-amid-covid-crisis Are they really going to be able to manage it. I am starting to fear the nightmare of the games starting but getting abandoned mid way through after mass outbreaks and lots and lots of random medalists due to depleted fields.

I wonder if India will pull out due to the rise of the new variant there - it’s not known if any existing vaccine works on it.