Former IOC VP Pound Says Fans Optional For Tokyo Olympics
Jan 21, 2021, 5:18 AM | Updated: Feb 12, 2023, 5:58 pm
(Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
TOKYO (AP) — Former IOC vice president Dick Pound says the Tokyo Olympics can go ahead without fans.
Pound says: “The question is — is this a ‘must-have’ or ‘nice-to-have.’ It’s nice to have spectators. But it’s not a must-have.”
In the interview with Japan’s Kyodo news agency Pound also said there’s a ”very, very good chance” the Olympics will open on July 23.
This comes as recent polls in Japan show 80% of the public believe the Olympics should not happen with virus cases surging — or will not happen.
It’s critical for the Switzerland-based International Olympic Committee to get the event on television — with or without fans.