Olympic Newsdesk: New Prime Minister Possible for Tokyo Olympic Bid, Iraq Hosts Football

Taro Aso (l), with Tokyo Metropolitan Governor Shintaro Ishihara, at the IOC Evaluation Commission visit in April. Japanese Government Faces Change Ahead of 2016 Vote

The prospects are growing that the government of Japan will be changing just weeks before the Oct. 2 vote of the IOC for a 2016 host city, Tokyo one of the four candidates.

The elections "have no implications for the bid due to support from all major political parties," a spokesman for Tokyo 2016 tells Around the Rings.

Prime Minister Tara Aso set Aug. 30 as the date for the parliamentary elections after his Liberal Democratic Party suffered a bellwether loss in a local election held Sunday in Tokyo.

Public opinion polls indicate that the LDP could lose the election, but Aso may be facing a revolt from his party, which could nominate a a new leader ahead of the vote.

Aso, a supporter of the Tokyo bid for the 2016 Olympics, brought a cachet to his support as the only Olympian among the four heads of state for the 2016 bids. Aso competed in shooting at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

Aso, 68, took office as Prime Minister just under a year ago after a party leadership change, with less than a year to go in the mandate of the LDP. By law, Aso had to schedule an election by Sept. 10.

While national government support plays a role in the Tokyo bid, the impetus for the bid has largely come from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Aso appeared before the IOC Evaluation Commission when the panel visited Tokyo in April.

Aso or his successor is expected to be at the IOC session in Copenhagen in October to represent the national government on behalf of the Tokyo bid.

"We look forward to working with the appointed Japanese Government up to and beyond the election, through to Copenhagen and if we are awarded the honor of hosting the Games, through until 2016," says Tokyo 2016 spokesman Masa Takaya.

"All corners of society in Japan are backing our Bid to host the most compact and sustainable Games ever staged in the heart of our capital, and that united effort continues," says Takaya.

Iraq Returns as Host for International Football Matches

Seven years after the last international football matches were held in Baghdad, the sport has returned to the national capital. More than 50,000 fans attended the match Monday between Iraq and Palestine. (Getty Images)

A crowd of 50,000 packed Al-Shaab Stadium, traditional home of Iraqi football for the second of two matches with Palestine. Iraq was the easy winner, 4-0. The fixture followed a 3-0 win in the northern city of Irbil last Friday.

Tight security accompanied the match with roads closed to traffic for miles around the Al-Shaab Stadium. Inside the crowd were vociferous and enthusiastic, although the New York Times reported occasional chants of "Death to Israel" and "Death to America."

Despite being international football nomads, the last seven years have been something of a golden age for Iraqi football. They finished fourth in the 2004 Olympic Football tournament, knocking out much-fancied Portugal along the way, and in 2007 won the Asian Cup; an improbable win that led to days of parties throughout the country.

Although Iraq put in a disappointing show at the recent Confederations Cup and failed to qualify for next year's World Cup finals, there are hopes that the return home can reinvigorate the national team. Next up in Baghdad are Tanzania on August 12.

"We're tired of traveling," said goalkeeper Mohammed Gasad afterwards. "Now we have our own country."

Written by Ed Hula and James Corbett.