2020 olympics

Tsunekazu Takeda oversaw Tokyo successful bid to host the 2020 Olympics. (Photo: AFP/Juan Mabromata) Tsunekazu Takeda was indicted on Dec 10 by investigating magistrates looking into a suspect payment of S$2.8 million (US$2.3 million) made before the Japanese capital was chosen to host the Olympics, the source said on Friday (Jan 11). Tokyo beat Madrid and Istanbul in the 2013 vote. Takeda, a former Olympic showjumper who led the country's campaign for the Games, said he had cooperated with a French judge looking into the matter, adding: "I was not involved in any wrongdoing such as bribery." The 71-year-old, who is a member of the International Olympics Committee (IOC), added that "wrong information that I was indicted has been shared," and pledged he would "cooperate with investigations to clear up any doubts." Takeda was "mis en examen" by the French magistrates, a legal step that has no direct equivalent in the American or British legal systems, but roughly translates as being … [Read more...] about Japanese Olympic chief indicted in France for corruption

IOC President Thomas Bach asked members of the Olympic body at its session in Buenos Aires to support the creation of a refugee team, along the lines of the one that competed at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. The members responded with applause. * The cities of Calgary and Stockholm and an Italian bid involving Cortina D'Ampezzo and Milan officially became candidates for the 2026 Winter Olympics on Tuesday after the International Olympic Committee ratified their bids. The IOC Executive Board last week recommended the three as candidates for the Olympics in eight years time, dropping Turkey's Erzurum. * Brooks Koepka added another accolade to a sensational season on Tuesday when, as had been widely expected, he was named PGA Tour Player of the Year following a 2017-18 campaign highlighted by two major victories. Koepka landed the coveted honour despite missing nearly three months with a wrist injury as he would go on to become the first repeat US Open winner in 29 years and then … [Read more...] about Refugee team to take part at Tokyo 2020 Olympics: IOC

The mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were named during a ceremony in the Japanese capital on Sunday (Jul 22). Mascots for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games Miraitowa (L) and Someity appear at their debut event in Tokyo on July 22, 2018. (Photo: Kazuhiro NOGI/AFP) The Olympic mascot, a blue-checked pointy-eared figure, was named as Miraitowa - combining the Japanese words 'mirai', meaning future, and 'towa', which means eternity. The Paralympic counterpart, who is pink-checked and wears a cape, was named Someity after a variety of cherry blossom called Someiyoshino. Games organisers also said the name sounded similar to "so mighty" in English. The mascots were revealed in February but remained unnamed until Sunday. They were designed by illustrator Ryo Taniguchi, who won a nationwide competition that was determined by Japanese children, with his entries clinching more than half the total votes. Tokyo 2020 president and former Japanese prime minister Yoshiro … [Read more...] about Tokyo 2020 mascots make official debut

Tokyo's subway system is famed for its cleanliness and efficiency but also its carriage-busting crowds, and a crush of visitors for the 2020 Olympics could paralyse it, a new study has warned. A new study says Tokyo's subway system could suffer "fatal congestion" during the 2020 Olympics, with key lines paralysed by overcrowding. (Photo: AFP/Toru Yamanaka) Professor Azuma Taguchi of Tokyo's Chuo University used a mathematical model to predict the flow of passengers on a hypothetical day during the Summer Olympics, when some 1.3 million spectators might join eight million regular commuters in the greater Tokyo area. "Fatal congestion" could occur in stations nearest to the Games venues while major transfer stations and key lines could be paralysed by overcrowding. "We will see a 10-20 per cent increase in the number of passengers at major transfer stations as spectators join commuters," he told AFP. "Once traffic congestion occurs, that will create long queues that would then … [Read more...] about 2020 Olympics could paralyse Tokyo’s famed subway, study warns