Oly boss warns federations of ‘major challenge’ in deciding costs

Tokyo, March 29 (IANS) It will be a “major challenge” on deciding who covers the additional costs arising from the postponement of the Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori has warned International Federations.

In a letter to the 33 Federations on the Tokyo 2020 programme, seen by insidethegames, Mori references the financial implications of delaying the Games until at least the summer of 2021.

“The extra cost that will arise from this postponement is inevitable,” Mori writes as quoted by www.insidethegames.biz.

“Deciding who will bear these costs and how it will be done will be a major challenge.”

On Saturday, Mori had said that the new dates for the postponed Olympic could be decided by the end of next week.The Olympic Games, which will be held in the summer of 2021 at the latest, is most likely to be held between June and September, Mori said during a program broadcast by Nippon Television.

“I want to offer some conclusions by the end of next week, after we”ve mulled it over,” Mori said.

Mori also said in a letter addressed to the 33 international sports federations that the extra costs that comes from the postponement of the Games will be inevitable and a challenge to cover.

“Deciding who bears these costs will be a major challenge,” he said in the letter which has been posted on the website of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The announcement of the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics was made by the IOC and the organising committee in a joint statement after president Thomas Bach”s telephonic conversation with Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

This is the first time any Olympic Games have been postponed, with three other Games being cancelled during the two World Wars.

–IANS

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