DENMARK: OLYMPICS - Japanese delegation promoting Tokyo bid for 2016 Olympic Games arrive in Copenhagen
Record ID:
329677
DENMARK: OLYMPICS - Japanese delegation promoting Tokyo bid for 2016 Olympic Games arrive in Copenhagen
- Title: DENMARK: OLYMPICS - Japanese delegation promoting Tokyo bid for 2016 Olympic Games arrive in Copenhagen
- Date: 27th September 2009
- Summary: COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (SEPTEMBER 26, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT KASTRUP AIRPORT PEOPLE WAITING TOKYO GOVERNOR AND PRESIDENT OF THE TOKYO 2016 BID SHINTARO ISHIHARA WALKING THROUGH AIRPORT EXTERIOR OF AIRPORT/ CAMERA OPERATORS (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TOKYO MAYOR AND PRESIDENT OF THE TOKYO 2016 BID SHINTARO ISHIHARA SAYING: "We can offer an Olympic Games that is really considerate about the preservation of the environment. I think that we are coming to a stage where.. whether we can rescue this planet the Earth. Europeans are very serious about preservation and they have created an organisation called ICAP League - among the members of the ICAP League, Tokyo is the only city - as a city - which is qualified to become a member of the ICAP league." MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TRANSLATOR TRANSLATES INTO JAPANESE REPORTER'S QUESTION: What is your secret weapon to beat Michelle Obama. (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TOKYO MAYOR AND PRESIDENT OF THE TOKYO 2016 BID SHINTARO ISHIHARA SAYS: "I can't tell you." . (SOUNDBITE) (English )TRANSLATOR SAYS: "I can't tell you." ISHIHARA GETTING INTO CAR, TURNS AROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) TOKYO MAYOR AND PRESIDENT OF THE TOKYO 2016 BID SHINTARO ISHIHARA SAYING: "By the year of 2016, 65 per cent of the taxis running in the streets of Tokyo will be pure electric vehicles." ELECTRIC CARS DRIVING AWAY EXTERIOR OF KASTRUP AIRPORT
- Embargoed: 12th October 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Denmark
- Country: Denmark
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVAD1ULRFC4S86GH1JANWM6UUW80
- Story Text: delegation from the Tokyo 2016 bid committee arrived in Copenhagen on Saturday (September 27) ahead of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) session on October 2 when the 2016 host city will be chosen.
Tokyo, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Chicago are in the running to host the Olympic games.
Tokyo hosted the 1964 summer games.
As he arrived, the head of the delegation, president of Tokyo 2016 and Governor of Tokyo Shintaro Ishihara said Tokyo was at the forefront of environmental awareness and could offer the world an environmentally friendly games.
The Tokyo bid has had the environment as one of its main selling points, promising to host carbon-minus games.
"We can offer an Olympic Games that is really considerate about the preservation of the environment," Shintaro Ishihara said.
"I think that we are coming to a stage where.. whether we can rescue this planet the Earth. Europeans are very serious about preservation and they have created an organisation called ICAP (International Carbon Action Partnership) League - among the members of the ICAP League, Tokyo is the only city - as a city - which is qualified to become a member of the ICAP league," he said.
The International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) is made up of governments and public authorities that have implemented carbon markets through mandatory cap and trade systems.
Tokyo was the first city to join the partnership that includes some European Union countries and some states in the United States.
The Tokyo bid has also said the Japanese capital could offer a crisis-free and recession-proof games taking place on a compact site in the city's bay district.
But the competition is fierce and the race to host the 2016 Olympics is likely to prove one of the closest yet.
Latest reports say U.S. President Barack Obama may go to Copenhagen to make a direct appeal to Olympics organisers to choose his hometown Chicago.
Officially, the plan is still for Obama's wife, Michelle, to attend the meeting.
Ishihara would not disclose what his secret weapon against Michelle Obama would be.
To showcase Tokyo's bid and its commitment to hosting carbon-minus games, Ishihara left the airport in a Mitsubishi electric powered car, the i-MiEV, which is the company's new zero-emission electric car.
"By the year of 2016, 65 per cent of the taxis running in the streets of Tokyo will be pure electric vehicles," he said as he was getting in.
As the world's top sports officials start to arrive in Copenhagen, leaders from all four bidders are expected to join them.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spanish King Juan Carlos as well as Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will go to Denmark while Tokyo officials are working hard to get new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to fly in.
An appearance by Japanese Emperor Akihito should also not come as a surprise.
If Tokyo wins the bid, the games will be held from July 29 to August 14. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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