TOKYO: The International Olympic Committee and Japan have reached agreement on 52 measures to simplify the Tokyo Games, postponed to next summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the announcement at a press conference by the IOC Coordination Commission for the Tokyo Games and the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organizing committee, the measures are “designed to maximize cost savings and increase efficiencies in Games delivery.”

They include “the reduction of stakeholder personnel attending the Games, streamlining transport services, adjusting spectator activities at competition venues and hosting a number of pre-Games meetings online.”

Specifically, the number of attending stakeholder personnel will be cut by 10 to 15 pct. Also, no athletes’ village entrance ceremony will be held. Initially, up to 93 such ceremonies were set to take place.

“We believe we have drawn up drastic measures,” said Yoshiro Mori, head of the organizing committee.

IOC Coordination Commission Chair John Coates said he is confident that the Tokyo Games will be an event “fit for a post-coronavirus world.”

The organizing committee is now set to estimate the amount of costs the measures can cut and report the result to an IOC board meeting in early October.

With both sides poised to consider further simplifying measures, Toshiro Muto, director-general of the organizing committee, indicated that it is necessary to review drastically the current plans for the opening and closing ceremonies.

He also suggested that a cut in the number of spectators would also be discussed.

JIJI Press