TOKYO (JAPAN) – Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto has told the organising committee expects to rope in several new sponsors in the coming months despite businesses being drastically affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Tokyo Olympics was likely to start on Friday but were postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic.
The organisers will have to incur the additional cost because of the delay but Muto is hopeful that bringing in new sponsors will help bridge the disparity.
“I know that businesses are in dire circumstances because of coronavirus but still there are companies who are coming forward to say they want to sponsor the Games, which we appreciate very much,” Muto told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
“It is a bright piece of news.”
Muto added that he was optimistic that current sponsors of Tokyo 2020 would encourage an extension of their contracts until the start of the Games next year.
However, a poll conducted by Japanese public broadcaster NHK last month said that two-thirds of Tokyo 2020’s corporate sponsors were apprehensive about continuing their support.
(Photos syndicated via Reuters)
This story has been edited by BH staff and is published from a syndicated field.
