'That's a fact': Olympics are 'cursed', says Japan's deputy prime minister - MW

The Japanese deputy prime minister said that the Tokyo Olympics were cursed because of rumors that the Olympics would be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Taro Aso, who is used to making gaffes, told a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that the Olympic Games seem to be overwhelmed by world events every 40 years.

Japan had planned the Summer and Winter Olympics in 1940, but the Second World War was forced to cancel the two Olympics.

Forty years later, many countries, including the United States, China and Japan, boycotted the Moscow Olympics to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

There's a few other things going on, it's one thing the world has happened every 40 years - these are cursed Olympics and it's a fact.

As Japanese officials and the International Olympic Committee have again stated that the Olympic Games will take place as planned, it seems that the head of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, Yoshiro Mori, recently attended a meeting with a senior sports official , who tested positive for the virus.

Mori, a former Prime Minister, was present at the meeting on March 10, held to discuss last year's Rugby World Cup, as Vice President of the Japanese Olympic Committee, Kozo Tashima, who tested positive on Tuesday .

Mori, 82, suffering from lung cancer, showed no symptoms and did not meet the test requirements, an office official told Reuters.

According to Jun Kusumoto, spokesperson for the Rugby World Cup organizers, about 60 people attended the meeting, with Mori seated about 10 meters from Tashima on the other side of the table. Health officials contacted other participants who were at risk.

The [Mori] capsule goes to the hospital three times a week for dialysis, so if he has a fever or other symptoms, a doctor can examine it, said an official at Mori Mori's office.

Cabinet chief secretary Yoshi Leather Suga told reporters that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had met with Mori on Monday, but had not answered directly whether Abe would be examined.

Aso, who plays the role of finance minister, said hosting the Olympics this summer would be meaningless if other countries were unable to send their athletes.

As the Prime Minister said, he wants to host the Olympic Games in an environment where everyone feels safe and happy. But it was not something that Japan alone could decide.

Tokyo 2020 organizers said a little-known Japanese swimmer who competed in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics would receive the Olympic torch at a massive handover ceremony in Athens later Thursday.

Naoko Imoto, who works in Greece for Unicef, was approached by the organizers after a travel restriction linked to the virus which prevented a Japanese delegation from going to Athens to receive the symbolic fire. Friday in Japan.

Yesterday we decided we thought it was necessary for a Japanese to take on this role, the board of directors, Toshiro Muto, told reporters.

MW