The organising committee for Rio’s winning bid to host the 2016 Olympics has hit out at remarks by Tokyo’s governor that there were ”invisible dynamics” behind the Brazilian city’s win.
”Besides being regrettable, the statements made are in opposition to rules laid down by the IOC,” the committee said in a statement.
Tokyo’s governor Shintaro Ishihara said on Sunday that Japan must master the art of ”invisible dynamics”, including nation-to-nation deals, if it wants to win the right to host the Olympics again.
He made the remark hours after returning home from Copenhagen, where the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Friday voted for Rio de Janeiro as the 2016 Summer Olympics host city over Tokyo, Chicago and Madrid.
”Our presentation was far better than those of other countries but it did not earn us points. I realised again that there was a sort of invisible dynamics at play,” the novelist-turned-politician told a news conference.
Ishihara, president of the Tokyo bid committee, cited as examples alleged deals involving Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the IOC vote.
”I have heard that the Brazilian president came and made quite daring promises to people from Africa,” Ishihara said, without elaborating.
The Rio 2016 Committee hit back saying it ”repudiates the inappropriate statements made by the governor of Tokyo [Japan], Shintaro Ishihara, in the press regarding the International Olympic Committee (IOC) election process which gave victory to Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.”
”Surprised by the disappointing behavior of the governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, the Rio 2016 Committee will send a formal notification to the IOC, on Tuesday, 6 October,” it added.
Tokyo was the only 2016 candidate which has previously hosted the Olympics. The 1964 Summer Olympics served as a catalyst for rebuilding Tokyo into a major world capital from the ruins of World War II.
Two other Japanese cities have since lost their bids to host the Summer Games — Nagoya for 1988 and Osaka for 2008.
Japan has staged the Winter Games twice. — AFP
