‘No concerns over Tokyo Olympic preparations’

TOKYO: Tokyo organisers have shown they will complete all their 2020 Olympic venues on schedule, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Wednesday at the conclusion of a three-day visit.

Coordination commission chairman John Coates insisted he had “no concerns” over Tokyo’s preparations after local organisers recently unveiled their first new permanent venue. “We received reports on the progress of venue construction and it’s just not an area that we have any concerns — I have any concerns — about,” he told reporters.

“You’re meeting all your deadlines of construction and I see no reason why, in a country so sophisticated, that this won’t continue to be the case.”After bungling the rollout of the showpiece Olympic stadium two years ago, Japanese organisers have faced criticism but the successful opening last month of the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza, set to host badminton and modern pentathlon fencing, brought a welcome public relations score.

The original plans for the new national stadium were ripped up by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe two years ago because of public anger over its eye-watering $2 billion price tag. IOC officials have since called on Tokyo to make efforts to further reduce the current $12 billion Games budget.

“We will continue to explore cost reduction opportunities,” promised Coates. “The next version of the budget is being completed by the end of this year and we’ll see that when we get to Pyeongchang (for the Winter Olympics) in February.”

But Coates also added: “We are confident significant savings can be achieved. But we have to be aware that history shows us sometimes things can get out of hand, so we’ve got to be very careful.”

Meanwhile, the Australian denied any impropriety in his vice chair, Alex Gilady, travelling to Tokyo following recent allegations of sexual assault and harassment dating back to the 1990s during his time as a television executive in Israel. “I’m aware of the allegations,” said Coates.