(ATR) As new leaders of city and national governments take power in Japan, Tokyo 2020 prepares to hold its final board meeting of 2012.
Bid leaders are hopeful the new Tokyo governor might make an appearance at the Friday meeting. Naoki Inose was elected last weekend and has taken office. As a deputy in the previous administration, Inose is familiar with the Tokyo bid and backs the project.
On the national level, a new government is expected to form by next week. Around the Rings understands this would include the naming of a new sports minister who would likely coordinate the national government work with the bid. Shinzo Abe is the new prime minister, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Gold Medalists Endorse Tokyo
Japanese gold medalists from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics to the 2012 London Games endorse the city’s 2020 Olympic bid.
ATR has learned the show of support took place at the "Athlete Forum 2012" in Tokyo’s Waseda University last week.
Olympians and Paralympians, including Kunishige Kamamoto, member of the historic Mexico City 1968 Games bronze medal football team and Kyoko Iwasaki, Barcelona 1992 Games 200m breaststroke gold medalist.
The second part of the forum included London gold medalists Ryota Murata and Paralympian Mami Sato who declared why they want the Games to come to Tokyo.
Tokyo 2020 says Olympians in Japan are held "in great esteem" by the Japanese public, "so the athletes’ support further boosts the momentum behind Tokyo 2020’s goal to deliver a dynamic celebration."
"Both the Japanese Olympic Committee and the Olympic Games, the world's greatest celebration of sport, share the important goal of inspiring youth," said Tokyo 2020 bid leader and JOC president Tsunekazu Takeda.
"Waseda’s students witnessed first-hand the power of sports and the Olympic Values of friendship, excellence and respect. Japanese people love sports. We are sure that Tokyo is fully prepared to stage the world’s biggest sporting event in eight years’ time – the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games," Takeda said.
Tokyo and the other two 2020 bids, Istanbul and Madrid, begin the international campaign for the Games January 1 and submit bid books to the IOC by January 8. The IOC will elect the 2020 host city Sept. 7 at the Session in Buenos Aires.
Written by Ed Hula III.
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