2020 Tokyo Olympics organizers “sorry” for disappointing fans | Coronavirus pandemic news

Fans will not be able to watch the game in Tokyo and neighboring Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures.

A senior Japanese official apologized for not allowing any fans to enter the Olympic venues in certain areas of Japan because the Olympic torch relay received a silent reception when it reached the host city.

Hidenori Suzuki, Senior Director of Tokyo 2020 Ticket Sales, expressed on Friday his feelings about fans who cannot watch the game in Tokyo and the neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.

“I’m really sorry that we cannot meet the expectations of those who are looking forward to the 2020 Olympics,” he said.

“We hope to host a successful Olympic Games with everyone, and leave as many children and young people as possible unforgettable memories. It would be great if people can understand that we have been working with this mentality.”

Suzuki stated that the committee will continue to work hard for spectators who can watch the games at venues in Shizuoka, Ibaraki, Fukushima, and Miyagi Prefectures. The number of fans in these venues will be limited to 10,000, which is 50% of the seating capacity.

On Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that the state of emergency will take effect on Monday and last until August 22.

The competition is scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8.

After a state of emergency aimed at curbing the rising COVID-19 infection in Tokyo, spectators will not be allowed to enter the Olympic venues in the capital.

The torch of the last journey

At the same time, the Olympic torch began its final phase before lighting the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony.

Under the gray sky, the organizers held a small ceremony in the almost empty Komazawa Olympic Park. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike attended the meeting.

Koike emphasized that despite the difficult situation, the torch has found its way to Tokyo and called this relay the “Road of Hope.”

The torch relay is usually a time to build expectations before the Olympics, but due to restrictions due to coronavirus measures, the organizers failed to arouse enthusiasm among the Japanese public, and many of them opposed the continuation of the Olympics.

Since the relay began at the end of March, the torch has passed through 47 prefectures in Japan, but it has been banned from driving on public roads in many areas.

Due to the surge in coronavirus infections, it is now facing the same treatment in Tokyo. Except for a few areas, the torch relay is prohibited in the public streets of the Japanese capital.

The original plan was for 100 runners to pass the Olympic torch through the three districts of Setagaya and Western Suburbs on Friday.

Instead, the runners will take part in a ceremony without spectators in Machida City in the west of the metropolitan Tokyo area.