OLYMPICS-JAPAN/IOC NEWSER IOC holds joint newser with Japanese officials

Record ID: 149140

  • Title: OLYMPICS-JAPAN/IOC NEWSER IOC holds joint newser with Japanese officials
  • Date: 1st July 2015
  • Summary: ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** Officials getting up as press conference ends
  • Embargoed: 16th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA5923THIMLC9ZPN27YZQV982PD
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Committee held a joint news conference on Wednesday (July 1), where IOC Vice President John Coates and Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori received multiple questions regarding the costs surrounding Japan's new National Stadium.
    Coates acknowledged Tokyo 2020's hard work, but during the question and answer session, he and Mori were asked several times about the new National Stadium, which has been plagued with issues regarding cost and a political row between the national and Tokyo Municipal government over funding.
    "It is not a matter that has to be subject to the principles of agenda 2020 other than us being satisfied when we use it for the Olympic games and when we use it for the Paralympic games," Coates said in a reply to a journalist's question about the new National Stadium.
    "It's not something the Olympic Committee or the Tokyo Municipal Government makes. It's something that the Japanese government makes, so whether that's expensive or cheap is up to the Japanese citizens to decide," Mori said.
    "It's not just going to be used for the Olympics. For 50 years, and if possible, for 70 years, and possibly for 90 years, we want to use it as a symbol of sports in Japan," he added.
    Tensions recently rose between Tokyo Governor Yoichi Masuzoe and Education Minister Shimomura regarding the cost for the new National Stadium, with Olympic officials finally setting the construction cost at $2 billion late last month.
    The cost is nearly twice the original estimate, and the stadium will be completed two months later than first thought.
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