Tokyo 2020 Will Not Leave White Elephants For Taxpayers

Evidence shows that in the wake of previous summer Olympic Games-sporting infrastructure in host cities go to rack and ruin with accompanying high costs. The just ended Rio Olympics is the next mega sport event likely to be tossed onto the sports infrastructure ‘wasting’ carousel.

That is if Brazil fails to follow the “Rio 2016 sustainability strategy” through, not least when the event has been assailed by economic constraints from the very outset. However, Rio can prevent its sports venues and amenities from becoming white elephants by prioritizing funds for sustainable post event operations.

Tokyo, Japan the next host city of the 2020 Olympics is embarking on an ambitious programme to repurpose its venues and amenities after the games. This is in keeping with the United Nations’ recent call for mega sport events to leave enduring legacies that benefit societies long after the games are over.

Briefing the press in Rio, the governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike said: “I will not leave white elephants for the taxpayers, but good legacies.” This is good news for Japanese taxpayers. Of course they will be spared the agony of having to fund the retrofitting, refurbishment or even the reconstruction of neglected sports facilities ahead of every major sporting event; which indeed can be ruinously expensive in many developing economies like Ghana.

Koike, said Tokyo 2020 will adopt the 3R concept throughout the games management cycle, with the aim to help Tokyo and Japan benefit from the right kind of legacy.

The 3R’s stand for: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle-a waste management process used to protect the environment and conserve resources as stipulated in the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Agenda 2020 roadmap for future games. Accordingly, the organizing committee of Tokyo 2020 has anchored its vision on the belief that sports can lead to sustainable progress by 2030.

The governor of Tokyo aims to host the most innovative games in history. Fact is, Tokyo 1964 immensely transformed Japan. So Koike is determined to use Tokyo2020 as a model of positive reform for the world to follow. Precisely the games will highlight the need for humanity to: aim at achieving their personal best, believe in unity in diversity, endeavour to leave positive legacies for future generations.

Sustainable development (sustainability): is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

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