Japan sets up Tokyo 2020 Olympic bid council

Tokyo: Japan has announced its bid to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and established the Tokyo 2020 Council, headed by Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and including other key figures from the government, business and sports communities.

The newly-formed council Monday said in a release that a premium advisory board was convened at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building with all 64 members agreeing to exert utmost to provide all necessary support and advice to Tokyo`s bid to host the mega event, Xinhua reported. Tsunekazu Takeda, Tokyo 2020 Council president, who is also the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) chief and a former Olympian, expressed his gratitude to the members for their enthusiastic support for Tokyo`s bid. "I am certain that the establishment of the council will send a clear message to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that the whole of Japan is united in its efforts to ensure that Tokyo`s bid for the 2020 Games is successful." "Staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 would serve as a major motivating force for the Japanese sporting community and act as a catalyst for the regeneration and reinvigoration of Japan, and particularly in those areas so severely affected by the recent disaster," Takeda said. "As president of JOC, I can also offer you my fullest assurance that the JOC will be pro-active on the international stage and do everything within its power to convince the members of IOC that Tokyo is optimal choice to host the Games." Governor of Tokyo Shintaro Ishihara serves as chairman of the council, while the four vice chair posts are taken by former prime minister and long-time advocate for sports, Yoshiro Mori, Hiromasa Yonakura, Tadashi Okamura, and Tsunekazu Takeda. IANS