Tokyo to host 2020 Olympics!

September 8th 2013 is a big day for everyone, including me. Today the IOC will make the announcement that only one country will receive the privilege to host the 2020 Olympics games. I only woke up to watch the announcement at 5am because I needed the sleep as I was going to attend my friend's wedding in the morning. Can't look sleepy for someone's wedding.

                                    

The television showed Madrid and Istanbul at tie. During this time, at about 5:05am, I thought Japan was already eliminated but thank goodness a few minutes later, I was informed that Madrid was eliminated in the first round. This preliminary process actually shocked the Tokyo team too because they, like me thought Tokyo had already been eliminated. Good thing, we were wrong. At about 5:20am, the IOC President Jacques Rogge announced that Japan will host the 2020 Olympics Games. 

Still cannot believe my ears and eyes that Japan beat rival candidate cities Istanbul and Madrid to host the Olympics for the second time. In 1940, there was plans for Tokyo to host the games but was never took place because of World War Two. The first Tokyo Olympics was held in 1964. The ongoing radiation leaks at Fukushima prefecture nuclear power station was the biggest reason why Tokyo will not win the bid. However, with lady luck at out side, the IOC decided that Tokyo is the best candidate city because of Tokyo's compact setting and safe atmosphere.

Tokyo will hold 85% of the venues with the Olympic Village. During the early presentations, the Tokyo committee, presented a survey made by 75,000 travelers informing the IOC members that Japan's capital is the world's safest city. Tokyo also boasted having clean roads(which is very true) and beautiful skylines. Another very important point is that Japan's taxi drivers are also friendly and honest(which is very true too) One should compare a Japanese and Malaysian taxi-driver. The contrast is like heaven and hell. Japanese drivers are well-bred and Malaysian ones are just money-minded(another long story on why Malaysian drivers become what they are today) Anyway, just encountering good and helpful taxi-drivers are enough to make your day delightful. With this said visitors are given an assurance that they won't meet any unhelpful taxi-drivers during their visit to Tokyo or anywhere else in Japan.

Tokyo committee member also mentioned that another attractive transformation is Tokyo will use this Olympic host privilege as the frontier to revamp the city to a new sports and entertainment district. Competition will be staged in historic venues dating from the 1964 Games, modernized and refurbished to extend their legacy for at least another 50 years. Those polished and new facilities are actually what the city needed too.

"This is a chance for Japan to show the rest of the world that has suffered from natural disasters...how to reconstrust not just devastated areas like Tohoku area but also society as a whole through sports,"stress the Tokyo committee. I cannot agree more with the member's words. Hope seems to fill the city energizing everyone. Now, the problem is the tickets!!! I am going to make sure I get the tickets to watch the opening ceremony. I need to start saving now.(LOL)

Again, congratulations to Tokyo. The Tokyo team surely put their best effort and win the bid fairly. Click to watch the presentation video here.