ANOC: Tokyo 2020 presents convincing Bid Plan to ANOC General Assembly
MOSCOW, April 14, 2012 - Tokyo 2020, Japan's bid to stage exciting, innovative Olympic and Paralympic Games in one of the world's most forward-thinking cities, was presented by the Japanese delegation to the XVIII General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) in Moscow today.
Members of the world's National Olympic Committees (NOCs) received a detailed explanation of the Tokyo 2020 plan, which is firmly underpinned by Tokyo's unparalleled infrastructure and technology and fuelled by the energy of Japan's young people. The presentation emphasised its clear, simple and compact Games concept, fully aligned with Tokyo's development plans which will be among the most compact in recent Games' history, with 28 out of 31 competition venues located conveniently in the city within an 8km radius of the Olympic and Paralympic Village.
Tsunekazu Takeda, President of both the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and Tokyo 2020, spoke about Tokyo 2020's plan to bring Olympism and the power of sport to the heart of one of the world's most spectacular and stable urban environments.
Takeda said: "The many comments we received during our discussions with Olympic Family members provided us with invaluable feedback about their expectations for future Games. We believe that Tokyo 2020 offers a responsible and sustainable plan for compact, centralised Games with a showcase stadium to be built on the site of the historic 1964 Olympic Stadium. We are highly motivated to leverage the power of sport, with the firm commitment of the Tokyo and national governments, to help heal, unite and inspire Japan at a time of national rebuilding."
In the presentation, Takeda declared: "Our bid is also for sport and its future. Tokyo will stage Games of excellence, excitement and innovation, for athletes and NOCs, for spectators worldwide, and the entire Olympic and Paralympic Families. Staged in the world's most forward-thinking city, our Games will embrace world-class infrastructure and 1/3 technology, and be powered by the energy of our young people. Olympism and the power of sport will be celebrated in the centre of the spectacular, and stable, urban environments and will deliver long-term legacy, for the city, our country, and for international sport."
The Japanese delegation included numerous members of distinction, including Tokyo 2020 Sports Director Yuko Arakida, who is a Montreal 1974 Games women's volleyball gold medallist and Chairperson of the Athletes Committee of the Olympic Council of Asia, and Ai Shibata, who became Japan's first-ever female swimming freestyle gold medallist at the Athens 2004 Games. Speaking as both an Olympian and Japanese citizen, Shibata affirmed that Tokyo 2020 embodies the shared values of the Olympic Movement and the people of Japan, for whom friendship, excellence and respect are a way of life.
A presentation on Tokyo highlighted the Japanese capital's many attractions, including advanced infrastructure, world-renowned culture and passion for sport, as evidenced by its proven record as the host city of numerous successful international sporting events. A video enabled the ANOC delegates to view Tokyo's magnificent waterfront and nearby site of the planned Olympic Village.
After the presentation, Tokyo 2020 CEO Masato Mizuno commented: "Having passed this key milestone in the 2020 bidding journey, I am more confident than ever about the strength of our bid. We believe that we can guarantee the athletes the best possible platform on which to compete, and provide every visitor and member of the Olympic Family with a first-class experience in the heart of a dynamic, world-class city."
The IOC will announce its shortlist of 2020 Candidate Cities, selected from the five Applicant Cities (Baku, Doha, Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo), during the SportAccord Convention in Québec city, Canada from 20 to 25 May.
(Source:AIPS)
