Oceania Olympic committees say support is there as Tokyo Games approach – Pacific Daily News

Staff Reports, Pacific Daily News USA TODAY Network Published 4:30 p.m. ChT March 3, 2021

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A dancer celebrates the raising of the ONOC flag in this file photo from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.(Photo: Jojo Santo Tomas/PDN)

With less than 150 days to go, the Oceania National Olympic Committees President Robin Mitchell highlighted support being deployed toward Oceania inpreparation for the Tokyo Olympic Games, slated to start in July.

ONOC is working around key areas of support for its Olympic committees to ensure the safe participation of its member countries at the Games in Japan.

Some COVID-19 free islands are still vulnerable because the vaccination programs vary.

The need is to emphasize the importance of compliance and shared risks of non-compliance and to demonstrate that the planning thus far is robust and rooted in science and stakeholder listening. he said.

Mitchell said 35% of athletespots are still up for grabs. Australia, the largest Oceania member, will arrive in Tokyo with about 420 athletes while New Zealand, ONOC's second-largest member, will have about 200. The rest of Oceania will have about 150 athletes total, including universality slots, and every nation is being represented.

At the moment, all the focus ...is on Tokyo before looking at the pre-Games training, so until the borders open up between the islands and Japan, most of our island NOCs are training in their countries, Mitchell said.

Mitchell said while the Tokyo 2020 Games organizing committee hasn't made vaccinations a requirement for athletes and officials, being vaccinated would be ideal and the onus falls on the NOCs to work with their respective governments.

Guam National Olympic Committee president Ricardo Blas,secretary general of ONOC, said it has been a long journey of resilience.

Noting that many athletes are still training in their own home countries with the challenge of facilities and resources such as focused individualized sports-science-specific needs per athlete, we are working digitally to inspire and keep athletes focused," Blas said.

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Oceania Olympic committees say support is there as Tokyo Games approach - Pacific Daily News