Mori, Bach Confirm Cooperation For Tokyo Games
The head of the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Mori Yoshiro, says he and the head of the International Olympic Committee have confirmed their commitment to the Games.
Mori and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach held a telephone conversation on Thursday for the first time this year.
Mori later told reporters that the two agreed to press ahead with preparations for the Games although they know there are various opinions regarding holding the events at the time of pandemic.
He said that they confirmed they will cooperate to hold the Games successfully.
Mori said that Bach proposed a meeting of representatives from the IOC, the Japanese government, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and the organizing committee next month.
Mori said that he believes the officials are expected to review what they have done and what they should do to move to the next step.
Bach reportedly asked Mori and others about the vaccination situation in Japan, and said that he hopes as many people as possible can be vaccinated.
Mori referred to a plan to decide in the spring how many spectators should be allowed at the venues and how they would accept spectators from overseas. He said he is not in favor of the option to hold the Games without spectators, but the organizers are simulating various scenarios. He said they should keep watching the situation before they make a final decision.