TOKYO (Reuters) – Tokyo’s bid leaders said yesterday that the city’s financial clout and technical know-how gave them an edge in the race to host the 2016 Olympics.
Barack Obama‘s landslide victory in the United States presidential election last November was seen to give his home city of Chicago a major boost.
Tokyo officials have dismissed the Obama factor, insisting celebrity power would not sway the International Olympic Committee (IOC) vote in Copenhagen on October 2.
“Our bid is not based around one hero or one celebrity,” Tokyo 2016’s deputy director general Hidetoshi Maki told Reuters.
“Tokyo’s strength comes from its venues, the city and the people, from Prime Minister (Taro) Aso to the person who makes sure the bus runs on time.” Former British prime minister Tony Blair and England soccer player David Beckham had an active role in London’s successful bid for the 2012 Summer Games.
“We have time to think about who will be the ‘face’ for Tokyo’s bid,” said Maki. “But we will have big names of our own presenting our case to the IOC.” The IOC’s evaluation team, led by Moroccan Nawal El Moutawakel, are currently in Tokyo inspecting the city’s venues.
Aso, who represented Japan in shooting at the 1976 Montreal Games, was hosting a dinner for the IOC members on Saturday, with multiple Olympic swimming gold medallist Kosuke Kitajima among the guests.
Tokyo, which became the first Asian city to host the Olympics in 1964, also faces competition from Rio de Janeiro and Madrid in the bidding war for 2016.
However, Tokyo officials say the city is best-placed to survive the global credit crunch and stage a debt-free Olympics, having already secured a contingency fund of over $4 billion.
“Japan is the second biggest economy in the world, but if Tokyo were a country its economy would rank 15th in the world,” said Maki.
“The Japanese government has pledged to underwrite any shortfalls so it’s safe to say Tokyo’s bid will not be affected by the financial crisis.”
The IOC inspectors, who visited Chicago earlier this month, wrap up their visit to Tokyo on Sunday before moving on to Madrid and Rio.
