Tokyo 2020 launched the Tokyo 2020 Athletes’ Commission Thursday under the guidance of Chairperson Yuko Arakida, one of Japan’s most renowned Olympic medallists.
According to Tokyo 2020, members of the newly formed commission will provide invaluable insight to ensure that the needs of athletes remain at the very core of the Tokyo 2020 Games concept.
The Athletes’ Commission will draw upon the ideas and experiences of nearly 25 Olympians and Paralympians.
Tsunekazu Takeda, IOC member and President of both the Japanese Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 said, “the launch of the Tokyo 2020 Athletes’ Commission is another crucial milestone for our bid. By learning from past and present Japanese Olympians and Parlaympians, we intend to reinforce our plan of thoughtful and innovative propositions for the Olympic and Paralympic family. Best practices and insight derived from the commission will be woven into our Games plan as we strike tirelessly to fine-tune our plans for the world’s greatest sports celebration in 2020”.
Meanwhile Istanbul hopes to boost its bid by hosting the International Sports Summit March 1 in an event that is labelled the “first step” toward Istanbul’s bid for the 2020 Games.
The summit aims to introduce Istanbul and talk about the socio-economic contributions that would come from hosting the Olympics. The first of its kind, the International Summit will become an annual event in the near future, said an official statement.
Hosting a series of prominent speakers, panels at the event will focus on the economics of the Olympics, violence in sports events, the notion of fair play, and the forming of brands in sports.
