TOKYO – The dream summer of more than 110,000 Olympic volunteers has been booked for 2020. But now, with the Games postponed for a year due to coronavirus infection and for many still undoubtedly, they have been left waiting in limbo, staying in custody.
Hiromi Yamamura and others had hoped to make friends from all over the world in a lifetime of experience. Instead, the unidentified backbone of any Olympics – its voluntary group – had to rebalance life, vacation or return to home countries and seek part-time jobs in Japan in order to will they still be free to volunteer.
Volunteers acknowledged their uncertainty was small against the brutal global cost of the pandemic, but nonetheless raises a toll. Even as organizers swear that the Games will go ahead as they were reorganized over the summer, some are nervous and are considering changes to the plan.
“I’m really waiting to take part now,” said Yamamura, 40, who lives in southwestern Japan, far from Tokyo.
“Getting to Tokyo is expensive, and thanks to the pandemic, my finances are unsustainable. But the main reason is, it is very difficult to maintain confidence in this ambiguous situation. “
Around 80,000 people were hired by Tokyo 2020 organizers, another 30,000 by the Tokyo government and more by local administrations, to cover everything from translating and directing people to driving Visitors around and center management. A rich part of the Olympic heritage, they range from university students to retirees and come from all over the world.
Some 1,000 of the 2020 organizer’s volunteers have resigned, and the Tokyo side has left less than 200 – none, officials say, will have any impact on hosting the Games . Several hundred left as a result of sexual comments by the president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, but after his cessation some wanted to return.
‘MIXED SPECIFICATIONS’
Organizers insist all systems are running, but signals are mixed, volunteers told Reuters. Organizers have emailed volunteers abroad, but then asked them to determine if they can enter Japan at all amid strict pandemic immigration rules.
Game organizers said that volunteers know when they apply to participate that they have to deal with logistics themselves, but ads are available on the Tokyo 2020 website. They say they can’t confirm still how many come from abroad.
Email communication from Olympic organizers is also significantly down compared to this time last year, volunteers say. Organizers say they have provided regular updates to volunteers since it was fired last year, and that email communication will increase as the Games get closer.
Last year’s Games were postponed at the end of March, just before the torch relay was expected to begin – a precedent which means that many will see a scheduled torch relay begin this year. , on March 25, as a key moment.
“I had a whole life planned … and then after the Olympics I would finally go home, and start a new life,” said a Canadian English teacher in southwestern Japan, 36 , refusing to be named citing vulnerabilities around his work situation.
“I’m still here and in limbo, not knowing what to do,” said the teacher. “I put all my eggs in a basket that went through my fingers. ”
Around this time last year he was reorganizing work and reserving travel to Tokyo – concerns raised for overseas volunteers Claire Dawn-Marie Gittens, 39 and a Rio 2016 Games volunteer. return for the 2020 Games, understand.
“When I booked for Rio, ticket prices changed the day before,” said Gittens, a Japanese resident from Barbados. “Then make sure you get a place to stay … People need to get to work on this.”
When asked if the Olympics could reduce volunteer numbers, organizers said they would monitor conditions to keep the Games safe.
If the Olympics are held, they could be shunned compared to the sport expected of many volunteers.
“We’re told that hospitality needs to change, so you’re not in direct contact much (with an audience),” said Sawako Anada, a 47-year-old physical therapist in Kawagoe, a city near Tokyo. who is going to host golf.
“You have a big card that can be seen from a distance and move, so physically greet it … We are asked to be ‘distant friendly’.”
Reciting with Elaine Lies; Edited by Kenneth Maxwell