GamesBids.com: Nagasaki Opts Out Of 2020 Bid

Nagasaki Opts Out Of 2020 Bid
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GB Staff on Friday, January 15, 2010  9:07am EST
 
Nagasaki won't be bidding to co-host the 2020 Summer Olympic Games with
Hiroshima, said Mayor Tomihisa Taue Friday, but Hiroshima will reportedly
continue with the bid.
The Olympic Charter stipulates that only one city can host the Olympics and
Nagasaki has decided that continuing on the plan to co-host would not be
advantageous, the mayor said at a meeting of local assembly members.
Taue added, "we would like to offer full cooperation if Hiroshima declared its
bid to hold the event alone".
Following the meeting Taue told reporters that "it's too bad we have to give up
on a joint bid, but we received support from many quarters so the effort had
meaning".
Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba said following the announcement, "we would like
to take the decision aimed at opening the way for future developments in a
positive way".
Earlier International Olympic Committee Vice President Chiharu Igaya said that
it would be difficult for the cities to jointly host the Olympics, even when
they said they would try to comply with the Olympic Charter.
The Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) turned down their bid last month saying it
is not in a position to go against the Olympic Charter and suggesting that it
would have a chance for success if either city makes a bid.
On hearing the news JOC President Tsunekazu Takeda said the Japanese committee
is willing to "substantially consider" whether to support Hiroshima's bid if it
formally files to host the event alone, and that such a move would "produce a
possibility".
Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, referring to Tokyo's plans to bid for the 2020
Games said, "we will seek cooperation from Nagasaki City such as asking it to
partly host the event even if the metropolitan government formally files for
candidacy".
Japan has already hosted three Olympics - the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo, and
the 1972 and 1998 Winter Games in Sapporo and Nagano.