TOKYO 2020: Athletes Bond with Host Towns

The South Sudanese athletes practice on grounds in the city with The South Sudanese team also has opportunities to the support of coaches, interpreters, experience Japanese culture. Here the athletes try and other local volunteers. predicament, Yaizu City supported the athletes until June. During that their hands at pounding mochi. time, thanks in part to the city’s temperate climate, the athletes were able to continue to focus on their training, and all of them managed to beat their personal bests. As word about the stranded Mongolian Para-athletes spread throughout the city, the local residents pitched in to help, offering the athletes masks, fruit, and other The South Sudanese athletes take Japanese classes in forms of support. ONODA Satoshi of the morning. At their request, they are also learning how Yaizu City Hall says, “We consider to use PCs. these athletes to be members of MONGOLIA our community. I understand that situation with ongoing insecurity left athletes all the way through to the Maebashi（JAPAN） Yaizu（JAPAN） it is difficult to train in Mongolia over from the civil war. Refugees and end of the Games. SOUTH SUDAN for months on end because of the internally displaced persons number “If the athletes we’re hosting show cold weather there. Although it 4.3 million—over one-third of the what they can do at the Tokyo 2020 will depend on the coronavirus state’s citizenry. As the country is Games, South Sudanese sports could FEATURE Overcoming Difficulties amid the COVID-19 Crisis situation, I hope that they will be unable to provide its team with an become a unifying force for their able to come again this winter to adequate training environment, whole nation,” says KUWABARA train in the warm weather of our Maebashi City expressed its Kazuhiko of Maebashi City Hall. city.” With the Tokyo 2020 Games willingness to host a pre-Games “We’ll do what we can to help TOKYO 2020: Athletes now less than a year away, Yaizu training camp for an unusually long make that happen. Having the is set to host such athletes and will period of ten months. The city secured team in Maebashi is great for our make sure that they have what they funds for the camp through donation- community, too—it’s a chance for Bond with Host Towns need to join the competition in top based crowdfunding, and was able to us to appreciate how lucky we are condition. welcome the South Sudanese team to live in a peaceful environment While the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the Olympic and Paralympic Games Meanwhile, another city, Maebashi in November 2019. Not long after where sports are a normal part of Tokyo 2020 back a year, the challenges posed by the pandemic have strengthened the bonds in Gunma Prefecture, is the offi cial that, however, came the onset of the everyday life.” between athletes from across the globe and their official host towns around Japan host town for fi ve members of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Tokyo The athletes train day in and South Sudan Athletics team. While 2020 Games were offi cially postponed day out, with Japanese coaches and South Sudan gained independence by a year, Maebashi City decided to volunteer interpreters helping. Just in 2011, the young state is in a severe keep hosting its South Sudanese eating nutritious meals every day he COVID-19 outbreak has and being able to run with all their Thad a massive impact on might on a quality track constitute several teams of athletes who had a remarkable experience for them, already arrived in Japan to train for and they all say, “We want to use the the Olympic and Paralympic Games time remaining to train hard and put Tokyo 2020. in a good performance for the sake One of those groups was the of our families, friends, and all the Mongolian Para-athletics team, citizens of South Sudan.” which had been training in Yaizu, Many hardships have arisen Shizuoka Prefecture since February. from the COVID-19 pandemic, Although the athletes originally but the bonds forged between the planned to stay in Yaizu for no official host towns and the world’s longer than a month, flights to athletes—who have set their sights their country were suspended as of on the Tokyo 2020 Games—are sure The Mongolian Paralympic track and fi eld team works out in Yaizu, February 28. As the team was forced The Mongolian team says that it was encouraged by messages of support from the Yaizu City residents. to surmount these trying times and which boasts a temperate climate year round. to extend its stay because of that The team also received a Special Sports Citizen Certifi cate from Yaizu City Hall as a show of eternal friendship. become even stronger. 12 13.

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