IOC & Japan in war of attrition with eye on next summer Olympics

As days and weeks pass by, it has become increasingly clear that the 2020 summer Olympics will be given a miss! 

A majority of Japanese citizens have voiced their opposition to hosting the Games in the capital city of Tokyo despite all the attendant losses that it may entail. Emphasis is on preservation of human life, pretty much along expected lines from a nation that rose from the utter devastation and nuclear bombing of World War II to become one of the foremost industrial economies of the world.

And it is this economic clout that has the International Olympic Committee dragging its feet in taking a final call on the Tokyo Games, even though it is a foregone conclusion that the city would be compensated in the form of hosting rights for the 2032 summer Games if Japan so desires.

IOC can hardly afford to upset Japan's national Olympic committee given the financial muscle that companies with roots in the country wield world-wide. The Lausanne-based honchos that run the Olympic movement have felt it prudent to leave the final decision to the host nation, even though IOC president Thomas Bach himself had to postpone his scheduled mid-May visit to Tokyo due the pandemic by a whole month.

A decision would be welcome since Olympic sports are wary of being caught on the wrong foot and continue to press ahead with the qualification process. Similarly, sports persons that have made the grade or hope to do so soon, are not letting up on their training despite the lurking suspicion that it could all be in vain.

The hosting rights for the next two summer Olympics, 2024 Paris and 2028 Los Angeles, are already done and dusted. Hence Tokyo must wait until the 2032 Olympiad, something that the Japanese NOC is loathe to do. It is reported to be instead asking for the entire Olympic programme to be pushed back by four years, given the uncertain times, so that it can put to use at least some, if not all, the infrastructure it has created for 2020.

Therein lies the catch!

IOC feels it would be unfair on Paris and Los Angeles but Tokyo feel it was hardly their fault for not being able to host the Games as scheduled. Indeed one postponement was granted but it is almost certain that 2021 appears to be hardly an improvement on its predecessor.

So Japan feels that it needs to be compensated while IOC is reluctant to rock the boat. 

It remains to be seen who takes the FINAL call ... 

If Japan announces the cancellation then they would hardly have a case for recompense, adequate or not, while an IOC guillotine will hand the bargaining lever to Tokyo.

After all, it's several billion dollars at stake and neither side is ready nor can afford to blink!