BFF-47 IOC creates $800m fund to address coronavirus crisis

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HEALTH-VIRUS-OLY-2020

IOC creates $800m fund to address coronavirus crisis

LAUSANNE, May 14, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – The International Olympic Committee said

Thursday it had created a fund of $800 million to tackle the financial hardships

created by the coronavirus pandemic which has forced the postponement of this

year’s Tokyo Olympics until 2021.

IOC president Thomas Bach said the body had released “an envelope of up to $800

million to address the financial consequences of this COVID-19 crisis”.

The envelope has two parts: $650m (602 million euros) which “refers to the cost

of organisation” of the postponed Games; and $150m as an aid package for the

Olympic movement, in particular international federations and Olympic committees.

Bach said the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed almost 300,000 people

worldwide, had had “a very severe financial effect… on the Olympic Games, the

entire Olympic movement and the IOC”.

The IOC, which has approximately $1 billion (926 million euros) in reserves, in

March took the historic decision to postpone the Games, scheduled to open on July

24, until July 23 to August 8, 2021. It was the first peacetime postponement of

the Games.

According to the latest budget, the Games were due to cost $12.6 billion, shared

between the organising committee, the government of Japan and Tokyo city.

Bach had warned last month that the postponement would cost the IOC “several

hundred million dollars”, adding that while the body would honour its financial

obligations to Tokyo, it would probably have to make cuts.

BSS/AFP/MRU/2233hrs