Hiroshima, Nagasaki not put off by IOC resistance to 2020 joint Olympic bid

Hiroshima, Nagasaki still interested in 2020 bid

TOKYO — Hiroshima and Nagasaki haven’t given up on co-hosting the 2020 Olympics, even though the International Olympic Committee has cast doubt on their proposal.

Hiroshima mayor Tadatoshi Akiba and Nagasaki mayor Tomihisa Taue will meet next week with former IOC vice president Chiharu Igaya to seek his support for the joint bid by the two cities, site of atomic bombings at the end of World War Two.

Akiba said Friday that one option is to have Hiroshima apply to be the host city with Nagasaki holding some events. The two cities are 183 miles apart — Nagasaki is on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu while Hiroshima is on the main island of Honshu.

The Japanese Olympic Committee rejected the concept of a joint bid last month, saying it is not in a position to go against the Olympic Charter, which stipulates only one city can host.

Gilbert Felli, executive director for the Olympic Games, confirmed in October that only one city can host the games. He suggested that it would be possible for a secondary city to host some events, such as group stages of soccer.

Other cities that have expressed interest in the 2020 Olympics include Istanbul, Budapest and New Delhi. The host will be selected by the IOC in 2013.