GamesBids.com: No Joint Hiroshima, Nagasaki 2020 Olympic Bid

No Joint Hiroshima, Nagasaki 2020 Olympic Bid
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GB Staff on Friday, December 25, 2009  9:51am EST
 
The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) has rejected a joint bid by Hiroshima and
Nagasaki for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
Yasuhiro Nakamori, JOC's Olympic cooperation director, told Reuters Friday, "JOC
president Takeda conveyed to them we must uphold the Olympic charter so
co-hosting is not possible. It's possible Hiroshima could make a solo bid. The
city staged the 1994 Asian Games. But it would be a bit difficult for Nagasaki
to stage such a big international event".
Meanwhile JOC president Tsunekazu Takeda told reporters, "in abiding by the
Olympic Charter, we regret that we can't support their bid. If either Hiroshima
or Nagasaki bids to host the Games on its own, it may be possible".
Takeda and other JOC executives reportedly met with Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi
Akiba and Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue in Tokyo Friday and notified them of the
committee's position, reports Mainichi.
Hiroshima's mayor said, "we'll reconsider the matter while keeping in mind that
the regulations stipulate that the Olympics must be hosted by a single city",
while Nagasaki's mayor said, "we'd like to consider how to convey Hiroshima and
Nagasaki's messages in the world as the only atomic-bombed cities through out
bid to host the Olympics".
Tokyo is reportedly also in contention to become Japan's 2020 bid city. Tokyo
governor Shintaro Ishihara has said the city has a "civic duty" to reapply. It
lost it's 2016 bid to Rio de Janeiro.
But a Japanese candidate could remain a mystery until 2011, said Nakamori. He
told Reuters, "the IOC told us there was no need to reach a decision. They also
suggested that if an African candidate emerged for 2020 they would be very
strong contenders".