20,000 people could be allowed for Olympics opening ceremony

There has been increasing pressure to stage the Olympics and Paralympics behind closed doors. — AP

Tokyo - A decision to allow fans for various events at the Olympics and Paralympics will be taken on Monday

By Reuters

Published: Sun 20 Jun 2021, 4:39 PM

Last updated: Sun 20 Jun 2021, 4:58 PM

The Tokyo Olympics organising committee could allow 20,000 people to attend the opening ceremony at the National Stadium on July 23, but that would include both the ticket holders and Games officials.

A decision to allow fans for various events at the Olympics and Paralympics will be taken on Monday.

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There has been increasing pressure to stage the Olympics and Paralympics behind closed doors due to concerns over increased risk of Covid-19 spread and there are reports that some form of cap would be placed on spectators, reported sports website insidethegames.biz quoting Kyodo.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato was quoted as saying that the government would consider barring all fans if the coronavirus situation in the country worsens.

"If we see an increase in the number of coronavirus infections, the basic rule is to take the necessary measures and deal with the Olympics in the same way as other events," Kato said.

Overseas fans have already been barred from attending the Games.

The organisers could also further reduce the number of foreign delegates attending the Olympic and Paralympic Games by as much as 25,000 to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19.

Should the organisers take the decision, the number will come down to 53,000.

Last month, the organisers had brought down the numbers from an estimated 180,000 to 78,000, a reduction of more than 60 per cent.