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Show A-10 The Park Record Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, September 26-29, 2020 Tokyo needs to convince sponsors Olympics will really happen in 2021 Organizers face a challenge as virus questions continue STEPHEN WADE Associated Press TOKYO — The only thing more difficult than staging next year’s Tokyo Olympics in a pandemic might be convincing sponsors to keep their billions of dollars on board in the midst of economic turbulence and skepticism. To make the point this week, IOC President Thomas Bach will join a number of Japanese government and city officials, local organizers and other top International Olympic Committee leaders in repeating a message they’ve failed to convey forcefully enough to deep-pocketed sponsors: Trust us, the Tokyo Olympics will open on July 23, 2021. Bach and IOC vice president John Coates — who oversees Tokyo preparations — were expected to speak remotely Volunteer Opportunity-Summit County Recreation Arts & Parks Advisory Committee-Cultural The Summit County Council is seeking individuals to fill three vacancies on the Summit County Recreation Arts & Parks Advisory Committee Cultural (RAP Tax Cultural Committee). The Committee is responsible to review applications submitted for consideration of RAP tax monies, focusing on botanical and cultural organizations, and recreational facilities. The board meets during the months of February, March, April, and May. to Japanese officials as they sors have paid a record $3.3 met on Thursday and Friday. billion — at least twice any The agenda included plot- previous Olympics — to the ting countermeasures against local organizing committee. COVID-19: quarantines, rules This is over and above a dozen for athletes entering the coun- permanent Olympic sponsors try, testing, vaccines and the who have signed long-term presence or absence of fans. with the IOC. Some also have Few firm details are expect- individual contracts with Toed until late in the year or ear- kyo organizers. ly in 2021, which accounts for John Grady, who teaches the uncertainty. sports law at the University The subtext is assuring of South Carolina, said the sponsors that the Olympics postponement has “created will happen. Tokyo organizing countless problems and ripple committee CEO Toshiro Muto effects.” has acknowledged the word’s “With the uncertainty of not getting out. the Tokyo Games occurring “The fact the Olympics are with few or limited fans, logoing to take place — the fact cal sponsors would be right itself — is not to be cautious in fully distributed investing more to the public,” sponsorship dolMuto, speaking lars if they canin Japanese, said not reach fans I think there is last week. “Peoon site,” Grady ple need to be almost historic wrote in an more convinced pressure to have it email to The Asthat, yes, the go smoothly and sociated Press. Olympics will “The lack of a be taking place to benefit Japan in wider internasome way,” for sure.” tional fan base A former depthat is typical uty governor Robin Kietlinski, at an Olympics of the Bank of LaGuardia Community would shrink the Japan, Muto College global audience has been vague who has access about how many to seeing local domestic sponsors are renew- sponsors’ activation efforts ing their contracts. He says of around Olympic venues in the the 68 sponsors: “They are all host city.” positive.” Despite the uncertainty, it “We’re still in the middle of will be difficult for sponsors to negotiations. We’re not in the step away in a country where phase of speaking about any conformity and teamwork are concrete results,” he said. valued and national loyalty Surveys have shown a ma- could be called into question. jority of Japanese companies Japan also has a long histoand the pubic don’t think the ry of supporting the Olympics, Olympics will happen next and many in decision-making year — or should happen. A roles recall fondly the posipoll published in June by Jap- tive impact of the 1964 Tokyo anese broadcaster NHK said Games, which showed the two-thirds of sponsors were country’s rebirth just 19 years undecided about extending for after defeat in World War II. another year. “There’s a strong underlying Keeping domestic sponsors narrative that this event is realon board is financially crit- ly good for the country,” Robical. Recruited by the giant in Kietlinski, who teaches and Japanese advertising agency researches Japanese sports and Dentsu Inc., domestic spon- history at LaGuardia Commu- nity College in New York, said in an interview with the AP. “I think there is almost historic pressure to have it go smoothly and to benefit Japan in some way,” she added. “Whether that’s financially, or whether that is getting their companies seen. There is something, too, about the rising China and — especially compared to 1964 — how Japan is somewhat in the shadow of this huge economy next door.” Japanese organizers are saying little about how 15,400 Olympic and Paralympic athletes, staff and officials will be safe in Tokyo. “The environment, when it comes to Tokyo, will be different than from the environment today,” Bach said this month. “We only do not know which way.” Bach has said that even if rapid tests and a vaccine were available, they will not be the “silver bullet.” A study last week from the University of Oxford showed Tokyo to be the most expensive Summer Olympics dating from 1960. And the meter is still running. The Kyodo news agency also reported again this week on more details about the bribery scandal that seemed to have helped Tokyo land the Olympics. David Leheny, who teach politics as Japan’s Waseda Univeristy, suggested “hardfought” talks are taking place with sponsors. “My guess is that there will be a round of negotiation for lighter sponsorship contracts, with the firms holding most of the cards on the terms if they remain cohesive,” Leheny said in an email. “The organizers don’t want to give up on any sponsors but also don’t want to look like extortionate bullies in the midst of a pandemic/recession ... none wants to be the first to be seen as abandoning them.” To submit your online application, please visit: http://www.summitcounty.org/321/Volunteer-Boards For further information, contact Nancy Hooton at 435-336-3042. Deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, September 30, 2020. Park City's Hormone Pellet Specialists M o r e E n e r gy g y, M o r e D r i ve v e, M o r e R e s u l t s 2 5 % O F F ! 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