Japan Expands Emergency As Opposition to Olympics Grows
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OOLYMPICS|LYMPICS Page 2 GGOLFOLF | Page 7 Skateboarders Spieth shares look forward PGA Byron to changing Nelson lead minds in Japan aft er 63 Saturday, May 15, 2021 FOOTBALL Shawwal 3, 1442 AH Tuchel aims to GULF TIMES harness Chelsea ‘anger’ in FA Cup fi nal SPORT Page 3 SPOTLIGHT Japan expands emergency as opposition to Olympics grows ‘I think the Olympics this time is about whether we prioritise life or a ceremony and event called the Olympics’ AFP Tokyo apan expanded a coronavi- rus state of emergency yes- terday, just 10 weeks before the Olympics, as campaign- Jers submitted a petition with more than 350,000 signatures calling for the Games to be scrapped. With Tokyo and other areas already under emergency orders until the end of May, three more regions — including northern Hokkaido, which will host the Ol- ympic marathon — now join them. Lawyer Kenji Utsunomiya shows off placards as he attends a news “Today, we decided to add conference after submitting a petition calling for the Tokyo 2020 Hokkaido, Okayama and Hiro- Olympics to be cancelled to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike shima to the area under the state (not in picture) at the Tokyo Metropolitan Off ice Press Club in Tokyo. of emergency from May 16 to 31,” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga was “really remote”. port teams will be arriving having said. “We want to provide this feeling been vaccinated.” In these regions, “the popu- of certainty,” Parsons said. In Japan, however, one of the lation is relatively big and the “Because we see that the anger country’s most prominent busi- number of new cases is very rap- comes from this concept that it’s nessmen, SoftBank CEO Masay- idly increasing”, he said. the Japanese population’s safety oshi Son, said he is “afraid” of the The widening emergency, versus the Games. I believe they Games going ahead. aimed at combatting a fourth wave can coexist.” “I am very much afraid of hav- putting Japan’s medical system In recent days, organisers have ing the Olympics,” he told CNBC. under strain, comes with public held a string of successful test “Not just Japan, but many opinion fi rmly opposed to holding events, including with interna- countries they’re having still a big, the Games this summer, fearing tional athletes, which they say tough situation, I don’t know how further infections. shows their protocols will work. they can support sending ath- Kenji Utsunomiya, a former World Athletics chief Sebastian letes.” candidate for Tokyo governor, Coe, who attended test events Several top Japanese sports urged Games organisers to “pri- in Japan last week, said no major stars, including tennis Grand oritise life” as he submitted the sports event so far has been a “su- Slam-winner Naomi Osaka and 351,000-signature petition to city A man wearing a protective face mask walks next to wall decorations promoting the Olympics in Tokyo yesterday. per-spreader”. Masters golf champion Hideki authorities. “The world does need to keep Matsuyama, have expressed reser- “I think the Olympics this time organisers and the national gov- demic, but organisers say virus to avoid putting strain on the med- rules, we’re discussing measures moving,” Coe wrote in the Daily vations about holding the Games is about whether we prioritise life ernment. countermeasures will keep the ical system,” she told reporters. including deportation,” he said. Mail. during the pandemic. or a ceremony and event called the “Holding the Olympics under athletes and Japanese public safe. Addressing fears about the tens In an interview with AFP, Inter- “At a time when football, rugby, Utsunomiya said his petition Olympics,” Utsunomiya said, urg- these circumstances means pre- Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashi- of thousands of journalists and national Paralympic Committee tennis and athletics are all back would continue to gather signa- ing Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike cious medical resources have to moto told reporters she was aware offi cials expected to enter Japan chief Andrew Parsons acknowl- functioning, and crowds slowly tures “until the cancellation is to push for cancellation. be set aside for the Games,” Utsu- of the concerns, but insisted “very along with the Olympic athletes, edged Japanese “anger” over the returning, it would seem odd to announced”, and brushed aside The petition is also being sent to nomiya warned. stringent antivirus measures” Suga said rulebreakers could face Games. But he said strict rules, pull stumps on an Olympic Games the cost of scrapping the massive the International Olympic Com- Thursday saw a doctors’ union would be in place. tough punishments. including daily testing and limited where the protocols will be tough- event. mittee and International Paral- warn it was “impossible” to hold “We have to create a fi rm bubble “There are restrictions on be- movement for athletes, meant the er than in any other walk of life and “People’s lives are more impor- ympic Committee, as well as local the Games safely during the pan- and take the necessary restrictions haviour. For those who violate the chance they could infect anyone many competitors and their sup- tant than money,” he said. BOTTOMLINE FOCUS World champion Al-Attiyah maintains slender Julian Alaphilippe lead in Andalucia Rally to skip Tokyo Games atar’s Nasser Saleh al-At- tiyah retained the overall lead in the Andalucia Rally Qin Spain yesterday despite fi nishing third in the second leg. Al-Attiyah and his French co- driver Matthieu Baumel were hold- ing a narrow 1 minute 26-second lead with two legs remaining. Local favourite Carlos Sainz closed the gap on al-Attiyah by win- ning yesterday’s second leg held be- tween Seville and Cordoba. Sainz, driving a Mini Cooper with co-driv- er Lucas Cruz, fi nished the 339km route in 3:16.24 seconds. Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed al-Rajhi and Germany’s Dirk Von Zitzewitz were second in a time of 3:17.32, just Reuters uninck-Quick Step team, not to seven seconds ahead of al-Attiyah Paris make myself available for selection and Baumel. Both the pairs were for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics,” behind the wheel of Toyota Hilux Alaphilippe wrote on Instagram. Overdrive. rench world road race “It is a personal, well-consid- Meanwhile, Nasser’s brother Kha- champion Julian Alap- ered decision,” added the 28-year- lifa al-Attiyah continued his impres- hilippe will skip the Olym- old, who is becoming a father next sive run by topping the T4 category pic road race for personal month. for the second successive day. Kha- Freasons, he said yesterday. Alaphilippe, who was fourth in lifa and his co-driver Xavier Panseri “After giving it a lot of thought, the Olympic road race in 2016, will timed 03:38:05 seconds in their Can I have decided, after agreeing with however be at the start of the Tour Am Maverick XRS. Qatar’s Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah and his French co-driver Matthieu Baumel in action at the Andalucia Rally in Spain yesterday. the national coach and my Dece- de France on June 26 in Brest. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, May 15, 2021 SPORT SPOTLIGHT FOCUS From ‘delinquents’ to Olympic stars: Paralympics skateboarders look chief tries to calm to change minds ‘anger’ over Games ‘The last thing that we want to do is jeopardise the Japanese health system’ Issei Sakurai of Japan competes during a skateboarding test event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park in Tokyo yesterday. AFP Skateboarding is one of four Tokyo new sports at the Tokyo Games, along with surfing, sport climbing and karate, as Olym- kateboarders are often pic chiefs try to reach a younger frowned on as rebels and audience. “delinquents” in Japan, Star-in-the-making Brown but the Tokyo Olympics will compete in the women’s Scould turn them into heroes. park competition after recover- When skateboarding makes ing from a horrifi c crash that left its debut at the Games, Japanese her with a broken skull. skaters stand to gain new respect “I see her on Instagram and as athletes, rather than being seen other social media a lot, and I as a public menace, they said. think she’s a great skater,” said Brazilian athletes and staff travelling to Tokyo for the Olympics pose after receiving their Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine yesterday. “You see stories on the news 14-year-old Azumi Fujieda. about people getting angry about “If lots of people start watch- AFP “We understand the feeling of Paralympians are currently ex- Games organisers have held still formulating its stance on skating in the streets,” Akira ing her, I think it will help moti- Tokyo uncertainty,” Parsons said in an pected to be vaccinated by the a series of test events in recent the issue. Tanaka, 20, told AFP at a test vate me and make me think I can interview from Brazil. Games, but that fi gure may rise weeks, with only one virus case “It’s a very consistent opinion event at the Olympic competi- do it too.” “And normally when there after organisers struck a deal detected from more than 700 coming from the athletes. We tion venue. This week’s test was held be- aralympics chief An- is uncertainty there is fear, and with Pfi zer/BioNTech. athletes and over 6,000 related need to work out the processes “I think if the skaters who ap- hind closed doors, for corona- drew Parsons said the sometimes fear becomes anger.” “The last thing that we want staff. and that’s what we’re doing at pear at the Olympics can change virus reasons, at park and street chances of athletes But he said extensive coun- to do is jeopardise the Japanese But some athletes complained the moment.” that image, it will mean some- courses fully exposed to Tokyo’s spreading coronavirus termeasures, including multiple health system at this very mo- that the restrictions were too The Games will be the fi rst thing.” glaring summer heat.