Tokyo 2020 dealt commercial blow, sponsor Toyota won't air Olympics-related ads
Jul 19, 2021
Tokyo [Japan], July 19 : The Tokyo 2020 Olympics has suffered a major commercial hit as sponsor Toyota won't air Olympics-related TV ads and its president won't attend the opening ceremony on July 23.
The announcement by Japan's biggest automaker just before the Friday kick-off of the Games in Tokyo under a state of emergency has been seen as a major blow to the showpiece event.
"We will fully support the athletes and contribute to the games by providing vehicles and through other means," Toyota's Chief Communications Officer Jun Nagata said in a news conference, as per Kyodo News.
Tokyo 2020 will go on amid the COVID-19 scare in the Japanese capital. On Monday, a female gymnast from the United States has tested positive for the COVID-19 at her pre-Tokyo Olympic training camp. The athlete was training in the city of Inzai, Chiba Prefecture ahead of the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, as per Kyodo News. The name of the athlete has not been revealed as of now but it is being reported that the female gymnast is a teenager.
Earlier, the Czech Republic's beach volleyball player Ondrej Perusic came out COVID-19 positive ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Ondrej is currently asymptomatic and is in isolation according to the rules. This was the second case in the Czech team after an official was revealed to be COVID positive (by a test) after the contingent's arrival at the airport.
Three members of South Africa's men's under-23 football team have also tested positive for COVID-19 and are currently in isolation in the Tokyo 2020 facility. The three members to test positive for COVID-19 are -- Thabiso Monyane (player), Kamohelo Mahlatsi (player), and video analyst Mario Masha. These three returned positive results in the latest round of daily sputum (saliva) testing.
