Tokyo, Sept. 12 (ANI): Tokyo's chances of getting the bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games could slip away from its hand in the wake of Japan's ongoing involvement in island disputes with South Korea, China, Russia and Taiwan.
Tokyo is vying with Istanbul and Madrid to host the Olympics, and the winner may well be determined by just a handful of votes.
A historical examination of voting by the International Olympic Committee on the awarding of the games shows that in many instances the host city was determined by five votes or fewer.
According to the Japan Times, Japan has unsuccessfully bid for the Summer Games three times in the past three decades: Nagoya lost to Seoul (52-27) for the 1988 Games; Osaka went out on the first ballot when Beijing landed the 2008 Games; and Tokyo was eliminated on the second ballot as Rio de Janeiro clinched the 2016 Games.
The 2020 Summer Games would bring a projected 3 trillion yen (approximately 37.9 billion dollars) to Japan, including 1.67 trillion yen to the Tokyo metropolitan region, the Tokyo 2020 bid committee claims.
The Takeshima Islands, located nearly equidistant from Japan and South Korea, have triggered an intense row between the nations. South Korea administers the islands, called Dokdo in Korean. North Korea also claims territorial rights to the islands.
According to the report, the dispute with Moscow centers on the Northern territories, referred to as the Kuril Islands by Russia.
With Spain's economy in crisis and Turkey's proximity to Syria, which is currently in the throes of a civil war, it would appear that on the surface Japan has the upper hand in voting for the 2020 Games, the report said.
It comes across as the safest choice in the short term with regards to infrastructure and financial muscle, the report said.
Presently, there are 109 IOC members, 32 honorary members and one honor member.
China and Russia both have three IOC members. South Korea has two. Hong Kong and Taiwan have one each. All possess clout with powerful forces in government and business in their respective countries.
Japan's IOC member (Japan Olympic Committee president Tsunekazu Takeda) can't vote in the election for the 2020 host, nor can Turkey or Spain's IOC members.
According to the report, China could be the key player in the outcome of the 2020 Olympic vote, as the nation with the world's second-largest economy has far-reaching ties in commerce with those around the globe. If it pressures those in other parts of the world (particularly Europe and Africa) to vote against Japan, that could tip the election in favor of Istanbul.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's planned purchase of three of the five uninhabited Senkaku Islands, also claimed by China and Taiwan, in the East China Sea for ¥2 billion, has provoked anger in Beijing, the report added. (ANI)
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