Tokyo 2020 Bid Given Backing by Japan’s House of Representatives

December 7, 2011

Tokyo 2020, Tokyo’s second consecutive bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games received a boost after the passing of a resolution by Japan’s House of Representatives to provide full cooperation and support to Tokyo’s campaign to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Tokyo 2020 bid president, Tsunekazu Takeda, was thrilled by the support,”It is wonderful news. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the members of the House of Representatives for their kind support.

“And I am confident that the House of Councillors will also adopt the resolution.”

“This will serve as a major step forward in our efforts to boost domestic support for the bid, and I look forward to working closely with the members over the next months and years as we strive to realise our dream of bringing the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games to Japan,” he added.

The resolution states that the Games “will make a significant contribution to international friendship and goodwill and to the realisation of a sports-oriented society in Japan”.

Another important point of the resolution is that the Games are viewed as a symbol of Japan’s recovery from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan in March, and would the opportunity to provide further hope and inspiration to those in the affected areas.

The House of Councillors will consider the resolution later this week and is expected that they will also endorse the Lower House resolution.

Tokyo is running against Baku, Doha, Istanbul, Madrid and Rome to host the 2020 Games. The final decision will be taken in September 2013 at the IOC session in Buenos Aires.