五輪追加種目 「東京」を盛り上げる決定打に

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Make additional sports events winning hits to enliven Tokyo Games
五輪追加種目　「東京」を盛り上げる決定打に

It is hoped that the new initiative in which host cities pick out additional sports to be held during their Olympic Games will help enliven the Games.
　五輪で実施する競技を開催都市が選ぶ。新たな試みを、大会の盛り上がりにつなげたい。

The organizing committee of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games on Monday decided on the additional events to be proposed to the International Olympic Committee. The formal decision on the additional events will be made at a general meeting of the IOC next summer.
　２０２０年東京五輪の組織委員会が、国際オリンピック委員会（ＩＯＣ）に提案する追加種目を決めた。来夏のＩＯＣ総会で正式決定される。

Proposed were five sports with 18 medal events: baseball/softball, karate, skateboard, sports climbing and surfing. For those athletes in the proposed sports, the increased likelihood that they will be able to participate in the Tokyo Games will certainly be great encouragement.
　野球・ソフトボール、空手、ローラースポーツ（スケートボード）、スポーツクライミング、サーフィンの５競技１８種目だ。これらの選手にとって、東京五輪の舞台に立てる可能性が高まったことは、大きな励みになるだろう。

The implementation of the additional events and new competitions is one of the main features of the Olympic reforms, which the IOC has been promoting since late last year.
　追加種目の実施は、ＩＯＣが昨年末から進めている五輪改革の目玉の一つだ。

These are aimed at enhancing public interest in the Games by adding sports that are popular in the host country and sports in which athletes of the host country are likely to win medals.
開催する国で人気のある競技や、メダル獲得が有望な競技を加えることにより、五輪への関心を高める狙いがある。

Underlying the new initiative is a sense of crisis within the IOC. Due to such factors as local citizens’ opposition to massive financial burdens that are borne by host cities, a number of cities have recently given up bidding to host the Games in turn.
　背景にあるのは、ＩＯＣの危機感である。巨額の財政負担に対する市民の反発などで、五輪招致を断念する都市が相次いでいる。

The Tokyo Games will serve as a test of whether the additional events can bring out new potential in the Olympics.
　追加種目が五輪の新たな可能性を引き出せるかどうか、東京五輪が試金石となる。

In Japan, baseball is a national sport. As there are many well-equipped stadiums, the overall construction cost of the Games would be reduced. The Tokyo organizing committee must cooperate with pro and amateur baseball circles to promote to the IOC the attractiveness of the sport that has taken hold in Japan.
　日本において、野球は国民的スポーツだ。設備の整った球場が多数存在するため、建設コストを削減できる。組織委だけでなく、プロとアマチュア球界が協力し、日本に根付いた野球の魅力をＩＯＣに訴えていく必要がある。

Cooperation vital

Baseball was dropped as an Olympic event after the 2008 Beijing Games. Its failed candidacy since that time has been due chiefly to such negative factors as top players of the U.S. major leagues not participating in the Games, as the events were to be held mid-season for them.
　０８年北京五輪を最後に、五輪競技から外れた。この際には、米大リーグのトップ選手が、シーズン中であるために出場しないことなどがマイナス材料となった。

It is essential for the Tokyo organizing committee to seek the cooperation of the major leagues as much as possible.
大リーグ側に可能な限りの協力を求めていく努力も欠かせない。

The beaming smiles of members of the Japanese national women’s softball team, who won gold at the Beijing Games, have made a great impression. The return of women’s softball to the Games is also a long-held wish in the world of softball.
　ソフトボール日本代表の女子選手たちが、北京五輪で金メダルを獲得した際の笑顔は、感動をもたらした。五輪への復帰は、ソフトボール界にとっても悲願だ。

This time, the strategy of newly establishing the World Baseball Softball Confederation and petitioning, jointly with men’s baseball circles, to the IOC for the return of women’s softball as a Games event is about to bear fruit.
　今回、世界野球ソフトボール連盟を新設し、男子の野球と一体となってアピールしてきた戦略が実を結びつつある。

Karate, which originated in Japan, has the advantage of being a sport with a large population of players the world over. For the competitions, existing facilities such as the Nippon Budokan can be used as venues. Such matters as making its rules known more widely will be a task for the future.
　日本発祥の空手は、世界的に競技人口が多いことが強みだ。会場には、既存の日本武道館などを活用できる。ルールの周知などが課題となるだろう。

The selections of skateboard, sports climbing and surfing were made in line with the IOC’s desire to add sports that are popular among young people.
　ローラースポーツ、スポーツクライミング、サーフィンについては、若者に人気の競技を重視するＩＯＣの意向に沿った選考だ。

In connection with the Tokyo Games, the organizing committee has suffered major setbacks over the construction plan for the new National Stadium and the cancellation of the official emblem for the Games.
　東京五輪を巡っては、新国立競技場建設計画とエンブレムの白紙撤回で失点が続く。

In order not to disappoint public expectations any more, the organizing committee must thoroughly prepare for negotiations with the IOC as it moves toward a final decision.
　国民の期待をこれ以上、裏切らぬよう、組織委は最終決定に向けたＩＯＣとの折衝に万全の態勢で臨まねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 29, 2015)