“Overseas Olympics athletes cannot be prioritized”- Japanese towns reject to host foreign athletes

“Overseas Olympics athletes cannot be prioritized”- Japanese towns reject to host foreign athletes

Tokyo Olympics

40 towns have rejected to serve as host for the overseas athletes of Tokyo Olympics 2021 as they cannot risk the safety and health of their citizens providing accommodation for the overseas athletes.

Presently the Japan nation has been suffering from the fourth wave of COVID-19 with more than 7,000 Japanese victimized to the virus and 969 people from the host city – Tokyo on Wednesday alone. There has been oppositions voiced out by the Japanese population against hosting for the overseas athletes as there has been shortage of hospital beds for the citizens themselves, subsequently 40 towns rejected to host the overseas athletes.

Meanwhile, Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai has clearly rejected to host training camps and cultural exchanges before the Games for the contingents as there is shortage of resources amidst the pandemic and they cannot prioritize athletes over citizens.

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“Chiba prefecture is not thinking about securing scarce hospital beds … for athletes and people involved in the Olympic Games in a way that would prohibit our residents from using them,” Kumagai told reporters according to Sportstar. “There’s limited time and cost issues and it is impossible to have exchange activities between residents and athletes,” he further said.

Japanese people express unrest with conducting Tokyo Olympics

Tokyo Olympics
Tokyo Olympics

The International Olympic Committee has assured that the historic Olympic event will definitely take place from July 23 to August 7, 2021 and all strict protocols will be adhered properly to avoid risking the health of athletes and the people. But the COVID-19 surge has raised extreme concerns all over the nation that many Japanese towns have backed out from being part of the prestigious sport event of the decade, for the welfare of their people.

Even many Japanese Olympic athletes have been raising concerns over the happening of Tokyo Olympics 2021 as the welfare of the people is the one which is to be prioritized by the government presently in the pandemic situation and not the games.

Masters golf champion Hideki Matsuyama said on Wednesday he had “mixed feelings” about the Olympics, after top women’s tennis player, Naomi Osaka, raised concerns.

“Japan is seeing a lot of new infections now and is going through a tough time, so I can’t imagine just blindly pushing the Olympics forward,” said the 29 year old Golf superstar, Matsuyama.

Previously the Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka had said, “I’m an athlete, and of course my immediate thought is that I want to play in the Olympics, But as a human, I would say we’re in a pandemic, and if people aren’t healthy, and if they’re not feeling safe, then it’s definitely a really big cause for concern.”

The Tokyo Olympics has already been postponed in 2020 due to COVID-19 surge, and the present situation is considered to be worse than last year, and with Japanese towns starting to withdraw from hosting the overseas players, the oppositions raised against the conduct of Tokyo Olympics 2021, there is definitely a need for discussion.

Also Read: “Never put the Olympics first” – Japan PM on prioritizing people before the Tokyo Olympic Games