Delayed Olympics Could Cost $1 Billion. Does The World Need It During Global Health Crisis?

It was in March when Japan finally took a call to postpone Olympics by a year after coronavirus pandemic had swept its way through the country and world over.

The Games have been put off till July 2021. Now, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said that it expects to bear costs of up to $800 million for its part in the organisation of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, now due to be staged next year.

Reuters

IOC President Thomas Bach said on Thursday that out of the amount that would be set aside $650 million would go towards the organisation of the Games next year and $150 million to support international federations and National Olympic Committees.

It is a staggering amount of money which begs the question if we really need such an outlay on Olympics when the world is suffering one of the biggest health crisis in decades?

Reuters

With no disrespect to global extravaganza of Olympics, the plan to hold the Games next year when the world has been crippled by a calamity like no other, there needs to line drawn as to what hold more value - sport or human lives?

The economies of countries across the globe have suffered, people have been left unemployed and more than 3,00,000 people have lost their lives. While countries pledge money to develop a vaccine, spending billions of dollars on organising Games would be irresponsible and selfish.

While sports can create an escape plan from the grit and grind of this crisis, there is no escaping the fact that the coronavirus pandemic presents an extraordinary challenge that cannot be overcome with mere platitudes and prayers.

Olympic.Org

The Olympics have long been mired in its own crisis, with doping, athlete abuse and a dwindling number of cities keen to host. The way that Olympic power brokers have responded to COVID-19 sets a wrong precedent.

There is also a problem of host cities and countries suffering the financial ramifications of organising such an big event and pooling in billions to host the Games. The classic case of Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro that hosted 2016 Olympics is a perfect example of things going bad.

The 2016 Rio Olympics were supposed to be the second of a one-two punch announcing Brazil's arrival as a world power through dominance in sports. But in many ways, the opposite unfolded.

Dezeen

Timed with an embarrassing political corruption scandal and the largest economic crisis in Brazil's history, the hosting of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Games has resulted in a perfect storm of unfulfilled promises.

While 15 of the original 27 venues have hosted some sort of event since the Games four years ago, others sit largely abandoned, their decay and disrepair a constant reminder of what was meant to be.

Even the iconic soccer stadium, the Maracan?, has been vandalized, and had its power shut off completely after amassing a $950,000 electric bill.

With global crisis as such, there is much more the organisers can do than going ahead to organise the Olympics next year. They will have too choose between money or people.