Tokyo 2020 Head 'Confident' Of Gaining Public Support Despite Weak Support In Early Poll

Japanese Olympic Committee President and IOC member Tsunekazu Takeda "is confident reluctant residents" of Tokyo "will back the bid" for the 2020 Summer Olympics, according to Danielle Rossingh of BLOOMBERG. An IOC poll published in April "showed Tokyo had the lowest level of public support of the bid cities" at 47%, compared to 78% for Madrid and 73% for Istanbul. Support has risen to 67% since the Japan's '12 Olympic athletes brought home a record 38 medals from the London Games. Takeda said, "After the delegation came back to Tokyo, there was a medal parade and half a million people were in the streets. I was so surprised. It means many Japanese people are interested in sports and the Olympics" (BLOOMBERG, 1/10).