Tokyo 2020 creates a new 2020 Young Athletes' project

Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori today joined 17 leading Japanese athletes for the second meeting of the Tokyo 2020 Athletes’ Commission.

Tokyo 2020 Sports Director Koji Murofushi, also in attendance, said after the meeting: "Tokyo 2020’s plans to put the athletes first and ensure an athlete-oriented Games are very much on track. Among the items on today’s agenda was a particular focus young Japanese athletes. We have decided to create a new 2020 Young Athletes’ project, which I will have the honour of leading."

"Our aim is to encourage young athletes to set the Tokyo 2020 Games as their goal, and in so doing we hope this will enable them to perform to the best of their abilities and broaden their minds. One of the recommendations adopted in the Olympic Agenda 2020 advocates increased social engagement among athletes, and this project aims to encourage athletes to contribute more to society, increase interactions with local communities and become actively involved in a wide range of activities, such as recovery efforts in the disaster-affected areas. We hope that their efforts will inspire people of all ages and demonstrate the power of sport to act as force for positive change.

"My role is to connect with the younger generation, inspire enthusiasm and passion, and urge them to contribute to the building of a fair, equitable and fully-inclusive world – one that has the power of sport firmly at its heart.

"We believe that empowering the next generation of athletes through the 2020 Young Athletes’ project will be one of the greatest legacies of the Tokyo 2020 Games."

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