Olympics: Domestic sponsors agree to extend contracts for delayed Tokyo games

Tokyo 2020 organisers said on Thursday that all 68 domestic sponsors for the Summer Olympics have agreed in principle to extend their contracts for the delayed games, as growing coronavirus infections in Japan overshadow the event. The Tokyo Olympics had originally been scheduled for 2020 but were postponed by a year because of the pandemic. “Partner companies told me about the difficult situation they are in because of the pandemic,” Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said. “But they also told me they definitely want the games to be held, and that they are willing to offer as much support as they can.” Tokyo 2020 organisers expect more than 22b yen ($212m) in additional contributions from them, Mori said. The domestic sponsors include companies hit hard by a steep fall in travel demand amid the pandemic, such as JAL, ANA and travel agency JTB Corp. “There must have been various debates within each company ... I believe they have decided to continue cooperating with us upon realising the historical significance of what may be a once-in-a-hundred-year event.”<br/>