AW promotion: After being postponed in 2020, the Tokyo Games was moved to this year but there are still many uncertainties

The 2020 Olympics. It continues to face challenges – but as one of the few events the world comes together for, everyone is hopeful it will happen this summer.

We still see odds from the sportsbooks at Canadasportsbetting.ca – for some Olympic events. And we are hopeful the games will happen this summer – but there are many reasons it could be delayed again – or worse, cancelled altogether.

Here is why.

Japan may close down Super Nintendo World one month after opening

Japan’s newest flagship amusement park – Super Nintendo World in Osaka – may close one month after opening to the public. This is a sign that Japan is not ready to fully re-open for large crowds. Tens of thousands of people go to watch the biggest Olympics in person – but if the Japanese government does not want big crowds by July – it could cause another delay.

The slow rollout of vaccinations in Japan

Despite having one of the most advanced healthcare systems in the world – Japan is lagging behind many contemporaries in terms of vaccination rates. This presents a challenge – as restrictions are unlikely to loosen enough for 50% or more capacity at stadiums and arenas until enough people are vaccinated.

The Olympics makes money through many channels, but without enough fans buying tickets (which is already a challenge with only domestic visitors allowed), the financial disaster looming could delay it again.

Hesitation from athletes

As much of a dream it is to go and compete at the Olympics, some athletes are hesitant about travelling and competing during the pandemic. While most will likely go – as the Olympics have plenty of safety protocols in place, and the Japanese government may offer all athletes vaccinations – some may choose to stay home.

This is unlikely to cancel the entire Olympics, though it could impact a few events significantly smaller individual-sport ones.

Travel restrictions and regulations

Japan is likely to make an exception for Olympic athletes – but if they do not, it could stop some athletes from attending the games. They will likely require athletes from hotspots to isolate when they arrive – and as long as the athletes can come early and are not required to pay out of pocket, it should not be an impossible obstacle to overcome.

No fans outside of Japan

This one hurts. Not only will it limit the number of people able to watch the games, but it will also hurt attendance at events without Japanese athletes (or in sports/events less popular in Japan). Japan is lucky enough to have a large population – and is an easy country to get around, so there should be a respectable number of fans. It just will not be nearly as many if their borders were open to international travellers. That is assuming the fans will come (more on that in a bit)

Proximity to the 2022 Winter Olympics

There was a time when the Summer and Winter Olympics happened in the same year. Eventually, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) decided it was much better to space out the events by two years.

The challenge now for the IOC is organizing two separate games in a six-month span. There are already some challenges arising from this. The NHL set a deadline for the IOC – telling them they need to know the logistics and details of the games by the end of May so they can plan their 2021-22 schedule accordingly. As the IOC is so focused on the Summer Games, they may not be able to release the plans to the NHL yet – causing issues for the next games already.

Public opinion of the Games is currently not great

When Japan was in the midst of another wave of infections back in January – 80% of citizens did not think the games should happen. A lot can happen over the 100 days – and if Japan manages to contain the virus, public opinion should shift more positively. However, if the public still views the event negatively – and does not want to come out and buy tickets, they may not be able to hold the event (without taking substantial losses).

We hope the Olympics can happen in 2021 – for all the fans and athletes – but would not be shocked if it was officially cancelled.