Japanese Olympics Minister Tours South America

(ATR) Shunichi Suzuki, the minister in charge of Tokyo 2020 preparations, visited Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires to inspect venues.

Suzuki’s visit was first reported by the Brazilian Government Authority on Olympic Legacy (AGLO). There Suzuki visited the Olympic Park in Barra da Tijuca "to learn about the installations that applied to the Olympics," according to a social media post.

AGLO said that Suzuki visited the authority’s offices. He was shown touring Carioca Arena 1, which serves as a basketball arena in Rio de Janeiro. There Suzuki met with Brazilian basketball team Mogi das Cruzes before a game against Flamengo.

From Rio de Janeiro Suzuki traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina to inspect 2018 Youth Olympic Games preparations. He visited the Youth Olympic Centre, which will host a majority of events, and the nearly completed YOG Village.

"Most of the facilities for these Games are temporary, except for the Youth Olympic Centre, which ispart of the legacy," Cecilia Farias, Director of Sport Facilities for Buenos Aires 2018, said in a statement. "I think what our visitors from Tokyo 2020 are looking for is to see how we have used and combined a number of elements, both in the construction aspect as well as in the social aspect."

Suzuki assumed his position of Tokyo 2020 minister in Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet in August 2017. His appointment survived a cabinet reshuffle after Abeincreased his parliamentary majorityin a snap election.

Tokyo 2020 has delivered its first venue for the Olympic Games. Organizers will be in PyeongChang, South Korea as part of the IOC observers program during the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Written by Aaron Bauer

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