No alcohol, no hugs, no cheers and no autographs: Tokyo Olympic organizers yesterday unveiled tough new rules for spectators at the Games, as they marked one month until the opening ceremony.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics Organizing Committee president Seiko Hashimoto said that festivities “will have to be suppressed” to keep the Games safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and conceded that organizers would need to be “creative” to stoke a party atmosphere.
Games chiefs on Monday decided to allow up to 10,000 spectators into competition venues, but Hashimoto warned them not to expect the kind of festive mood being enjoyed by soccer fans at Euro 2020.
“In Europe, the venues are filled with celebration,” she said. “Unfortunately, we may not be able to do the same.”
Spectators would need to clear several disease prevention requirements, including temperature checks and mask-wearing, just to get into venues — with no refunds available for those who cannot.
Once inside, they would be forbidden from cheering or “making direct contact with other spectators” and would be asked to go straight home after events end.
Asking athletes for autographs or “expressing verbal support” is also a no-no, as is waving a towel or “any form of cheering that could create a crowd.”
“The festive mood will have to be suppressed — that has become a major challenge,” Hashimoto said.
“People can feel joy in their hearts, but they can’t be loud and they have to avoid crowds,” she added. “Those are the areas where we need to be creative, and we are putting in a lot of effort to come up with a new way of celebrating.”
Spectators would also have to do without alcohol, even though it is allowed at other sporting events being held in Japan.
Hashimoto said that the ban was decided “to alleviate the concerns of the public as much as possible.”
Japanese government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said it was “important that the guidelines are implemented appropriately” so that fans could “enjoy the Games in a safe and secure manner.”
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