Will coronavirus overshadow Olympics and Expo 2020?
A man wearing a face mask, following an outbreak of the coronavirus, walks in front of giant Olympic rings at the waterfront area at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo, Japan, March 6. /Reuters
By Shahid Hussain
The two biggest events of 2020 ― the Tokyo Summer Olympics which will be hosted by Japan, and Expo 2020 to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ― are scheduled to begin July 24 and Oct. 20, respectively.
Both events bring people from across the world together and strengthen global ties. But due to the coronavirus outbreak, the chances of these events, especially the Olympic Games, getting the same receptions as in the past are getting dimmer and dimmer.
Japan's two neighbors, China and South Korea, have been hard hit by the outbreak. Globally, more than 113,000 cases of infections have been reported in 110 countries and territories.
The number of cases in Japan has surpassed 1,300, including infections on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with the total death toll standing at six. The Japanese government is planning an emergency package of 270 billion yen ($2.5 billion) to fight and control the outbreak.
Japan already is either heavily regulating or cancelling major events in the country. The Tokyo Marathon, which is one of the largest marathons in the world, only allowed a limited number of runners to participate.
Similarly the first two games of Japan's baseball season were played in empty arenas, the first time this has happened in Japanese baseball's history. The Spring Grand Sumo Tournament started behind closed doors without an audience. The government has cancelled several cherry blossom festivals, including Tokyo's Nakameguro celebrations.
Though the major source of revenue for Olympics comes from broadcasting licenses, the pomp and glamor comes from the audience present in the arenas who travel to support their country's athletes.
If the situation does not improve, it is very unlikely that foreigners will travel to Japan to attend the event, thereby impacting hotel and airline industries.
The Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games witnessed about 100 million spectators on opening day and about 500,000 tourists visited the city. The chances of having a similar reception for the 2020 Games seems very grim.
Even if people attend in large gatherings, it would be very catastrophic to allow such things unless the present situation improves significantly.
Moreover some athletes did not participate in the Rio Olympics due to the Zika virus epidemic. About 23,000 cases of the virus were reported in the first three months of 2016. However on Sept. 2, 2016, the World Health Organization reported neither the tourists nor the athletes were infected by the virus during the Olympics
Expo 2020 is going to be hosted by a Middle Eastern country for the first time in history. It is scheduled to start Oct. 20 and will last till April 10, 2021. Millions of people across the globe are expected to attend this mammoth event.
Luckily the organizers have time, and hopefully the coronavirus epidemic will be contained by then. The authorities are taking every measure to control the spread of the virus. They ordered the early closure of schools and universities in the UAE.
The authorities also asked residents not to attend prayer services in mosques if they have any symptoms. Similarly, they have requested that Friday prayers be concluded in 10 minutes, and other big sports and culture events have been cancelled.
As of now the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is planning to go ahead as planned, hoping the virus will be contained.
But it will be hard for the committee to convince every athlete to take part in the Tokyo Olympic Games if the situation does not improve. And if that is the case, then IOC will have to either postpone the event or conduct the entire Olympic Games in empty arenas.
Shahid Hussain (hussain.shahid@greenproposition.com) is CEO and founder of a consultancy company based in the UAE. He writes about matters which shape trade and business in Asian markets.