Tokyo 2020 Organisers Confirm Sponsor Extensions
Organisers of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and Japanese government officials, have restated their promise to host the Games despite a rise in coronavirus cases in Japan, while all of its domestic sponsors have agreed to contract extensions for 2021.
The news comes on the 200 days to go milestone for the rescheduled Games, and amid a rise in coronavirus cases in Japan. Organisers had promised to announce their plans to safely host the event – which is set to see some 15,000 Olympic and Paralympic athletes participate – early in 2021.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said he would consider calling a state of emergency in the country in response to the rise in cases, but also said that hosting the Games would be “proof that people have overcome the coronavirus.”
Meanwhile, all 68 local sponsors – which includes a host of pandemic-affected companies such as Japan Airways, as well as other major brands such as Canon – have agreed to extend their contract with the Games for 2021.
Yoshiro Mori, President, Tokyo 2020, told a news conference in December: “Partner companies told me about the difficult situation they are in because of the pandemic.
“But they also told me they definitely want the Games to be held, and that they are willing to offer as much support as they can.
“There must have been various debates within each company… I believe they have decided to continue cooperating with us upon realising the historical significance of what may be a once-in-a-hundred-year event.”
