The Olympic games have finally begun after a year of delays caused by a novel coronavirus.
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| [Tokyo Olympics 2020] |
The Olympic games have finally begun after a year of delays caused by a novel coronavirus.
Thousands of athletes from over 200 nations have arrived in Tokyo, and analysts predict that this will be one of the most expensive Olympic Games ever.
Many people in Japan are upset that the Olympics are taking place amid the epidemic, but these games will be full of firsts.
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The Tokyo Olympics will be the first to be conducted during a pandemic, amid concerns that not enough has been done to prevent the Games from becoming a COVID-19 superspreader event.
After a rise of COVID-19 cases, particularly the Delta form, Japan declared a state of emergency in the capital Tokyo earlier this month. This implies that no one will be permitted to see the event.
Nonetheless, the August Olympics and Paralympics will bring together about 15,400 competitors from across the world, as well as tens of thousands of spectators.Hundreds of them had already tested positive for COVID-19 the day before the opening ceremony.
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Initially, 7.8 million people were scheduled to attend the hundreds of Olympic sites in Japan. According to organizers, the loss in ticket sales due to the restriction on fans and spectators is anticipated to exceed $800 million, and this is only the beginning of the Games' exorbitant cost.
The Tokyo Games were supposed to take place in the summer of 2020, but the postponement has cost Japan a lot of money. The original cost was expected to be $7.3 billion in 2013. However, Tokyo's organizing committee claims that its budget for 2021 would be $15.4 billion, which is more than double the initial estimate.
The year-long delay adds $1.6 billion to the cost, as well as an extra $900 million in COVID safeguards. Other variables, such as rising building prices, had a role in the soaring expenditures. According to Japan's board of audit, those figures might wind up being far higher, with the Olympics costing Tokyo up to $26 billion to run.
Despite requests for the activities to be canceled, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has stated that "sacrifices" must be taken to guarantee that the Games go place in Tokyo regardless of the Coronavirus situation in the country.
Japanese citizens reacted angrily to the comment on social media. Many people criticized the IOC of disregarding public opinion in Japan that the Olympics should not be held this year. In May 2021, a survey conducted by the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun revealed that over 60% of Japanese citizens wanted the Games to be cancelled. According to a May poll, 83 percent of people believe the Olympics should be canceled or postponed.
As of July, almost 75% of Japan's population over 65 has gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. There is a vaccine scarcity in Japan, and many Japanese citizens are afraid that the Olympics may become a superspreader event. Toyoto, the official sponsor of Tokyo 2020, has caved to public pressure and said that it would not broadcast Olympic-related TV advertising and that its executives will not attend the opening ceremonies, which really took place! Panasonic, a Japanese firm, has also canceled its plans to attend the launch.
Tokyo police have stated that they are on high alert for a possible increase in anti-event protests. Hundreds of protestors marched against the Olympics in Tokyo only days before the opening ceremony.One of the protester said," Japanese people are terrified. But the government will not explain anything including scientific reasons. I'm embarrassed and I'm embarrassed that my country’s prime minister will not and cannot explain himself. "
[This article may resemble TRT World's documentary]