Tokyo to join 2020 Olympics host race

PanARMENIAN.Net - Tokyo is set to enter the running to host the 2020 Olympics after Tsunekazu Takeda, the head of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC), confirmed that the national body had asked the city to lodge an official bid for the Games.

According to sportbusiness.com, Takeda declared his support for Tokyo's bid after meeting with Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara on Thursday, June 23. Ishihara, who secured another term in April, was also the driving force behind Tokyo's bid for the 2016 Olympics. The city finished third behind Madrid and Rio de Janeiro, which secured the hosting rights to the 2016 Games.

The International Olympic Committee has set a September 1 deadline for National Olympic Committees to lodge bids for the 2020 Olympics, but so far the Italian capital of Rome is the only city to confirm its candidacy. Hiroshima recently scrapped its proposed bid for the event due to financial reasons to leave Tokyo, which was struck by a devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this year, as the only option left on the table for the JOC.

Japan's sporting schedule has been disrupted since the March 11 earthquake, but although a number of international events have been switched overseas, Japan will stage the Gymnastics World Championships in October and the FIFA Club World Cup in December.