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Toyota, sponsor of the Tokyo Olympics, will not broadcast television commercials related to the sports event due to the low popular support for the event , as two-thirds of Japanese doubt a safe celebration during the COVID pandemic – 19, according to a local media poll.
Reuters reported that the company announced that Toyota Motor Corp CEO 7203. T, Akio Toyoda, and other top automotive brand executives will not attend the opening ceremony as originally planned.
Through a spokeswoman it was indicated that “it is true that Toyota will not attend the opening ceremony and the decision was made considering several factors, such as the absence of spectators.” The executive added that will not broadcast announcements related to the Games of the Asian country .
It is calculated that some 60 Japanese companies that have paid more than $ 3, 000 million dollars for the sponsorship rights of the postponed Olympic Games of 2020 are now faced with the dilemma of whether or not to link their brands to an event that they have not achieved so far strong popular support.
Four days after the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, the 68% of respondents in a poll by the Asahi newspaper expressed their doubts about the ability of the organizers to control infections by Covid – 19, while the 55% was against the celebration of the event.
The study showed that three-quarters of the 1, 444 people who participated in the telephone survey said they were in agreement with the decision to prohibit the entrance of spectators to the events .
As coronavirus cases rise in Tokyo, public concern is mounting that holding an event with tens of thousands of athletes, representatives and journalists can accelerate infection rates in the Japanese capital and introduce more infectious or deadly variants.
The President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach has said that he hopes the Japanese will be in favor of the Games when the competition starts and local athletes start to win medals. The Olympic Games will be held from 23 from July to August 8.
“We will continue to cooperate and work closely with organizers such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Tokyo 2020 and the IOC to ensure we have a safe environment for the Games, ”said government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, in a media appearance.
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