Japan

Senior officials who led Tokyo’s successful bid for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have today (Friday) stated that bid committee payments that are currently under scrutiny were legitimate consultant’s fees and were checked by auditors.

The French financial prosecutor’s office has today (Thursday) confirmed that it is investigating allegations of “corruption and money laundering” relating to payments of SGD$2.8m (€1.8m/$2.1m) tied to Tokyo’s victorious bid for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga has insisted that Tokyo’s successful bid for the 2020 summer Olympic and Paralympic Games was “clean” after a report claimed that the bidding team transferred money to a bank account linked to an individual at the centre of allegations of corruption in athletics.

Japan is in contention to host the opening stages of the 2018 Giro d’Italia in a move that would see the cycling ‘Grand Tour’ commence outside Europe for the first time in its history, according to La Stampa.

Is the saga surrounding the development of the main stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games finally at an end? SportBusiness International reports.

Tokyo 2020 has today (Monday) unveiled its new official emblems for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, seven months on from scrapping the original designs amid allegations of plagiarism.

Tokyo 2020 is closing in on finalising its venue masterplan for the Paralympic Games after the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) approved the facilities that will stage powerlifting and track cycling.

The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) is set to grant membership to sports accepted as additions to the Olympic programme for the 2020 summer Games in Tokyo.

Morinari Watanabe, secretary general of the Japan Gymnastics Association (JGA), has become the second candidate to formally launch a bid to become the next president of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

World Rugby chairman Bernard Lapasset writes exclusively for SportBusiness International about the future of rugby union as he prepares to step down from the helm of the governing body.

Tokyo 2020 has announced a change in strategy for its gymnastics venue, with the planned temporary arena set to be converted to a permanent facility for the Olympic Games by 2019.

Tokyo 2020 organisers have said Fukushima could stage the opening rounds of the baseball and softball tournaments at the Olympic Games, while organising committee president Yoshiro Mori has criticised the part played by Sports Minister Hiroshi Hase in the latest setback to hit plans for the centrepiece of the event.

The International Aquatics Federation (Fina) has awarded its 2021 and 2023 World Championships and World Masters Championships to Fukuoka and Doha, respectively, while it has suspended the Mexican Swimming Federation (FMN) over Guadalajara’s withdrawal of hosting rights to the 2017 event.

A Belgian designer has opted to end his legal action against the creators of the logo formerly utilised for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Tokyo’s organising committee for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games has appointed two new vice-presidents to its executive board, while the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has said the Japanese capital is on track to stage the best-ever Paralympics.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has hailed Tokyo’s preparations for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as local organisers confirmed that the main stadium for the event will be delivered two months earlier than planned.