Nagasaki rules out 2020 bid 18/01/2010 |
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Nagasaki has scrapped plans to bid for the 2020 Olympics after the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) rejected its joint proposal with Hiroshima.
Nagasaki mayor Tomihisa Taue told the city’s local assembly of the decision but offered his full co-operation to Hiroshima should it decide to go ahead with a solo bid.
JOC chief Tsunekazu Takeda ruled last month that it was not possible for Hiroshima and Nagasaki – the only cities to have suffered a nuclear attack – to co-host.
And Taue said: “While the Olympic charter continues to state one city per [bid] country, the options for an atom-bombed city to stage the Games are obviously limited.”
Hiroshima and Nagasaki had planned a joint bid to demonstrate their commitment to abolishing nuclear weapons.
Hiroshima mayor Tadatoshi Akiba said in a statement: “We remain positive [about an individual bid]. We will continue to concentrate all of our energies into realising our dream of hosting the 2020 Olympics.”
Tokyo is also in contention to become Japan’s 2020 bid city and its governor Shintaro Ishihara suggested recently that some events could be held in Nagasaki should Tokyo win the Games.
Ishihara added: “The idea of an ‘Olympics for peace’ is persuasive. We will seek co-operation from Nagasaki City.”
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