International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach drew criticism for a slip-up when he referred to the Japanese people as Chinese during his first appearance speech in Tokyo on Tuesday.
What happened: Bach gave a speech at the headquarters of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee, where he commended Tokyo as “the best-ever prepared city for the Olympic Games” despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Associated Press.
- “Our common target is safe and secure games for everybody; for the athletes, for all the delegations, and most importantly also for the Chinese people – Japanese people,” he said as he immediately corrected his mistake.
- An interpreter translated the speech from English to Japanese but left out the blunder.
- The Japanese media caught the gaffe and reported it, stirring backlash online.
Other details: Bach arrived in Tokyo on July 8 and spent a few days in quarantine before his first appearance at the press conference, The Guardian reported.
- Protesters opposing the Olympics showed up outside Bach’s hotel on July 10, with signboards saying he is not welcome in Tokyo.
- Japanese media reported that a group is also opposing his visit to Hiroshima on Friday.
- The IOC sparked outrage after officials insisted on pushing the Games’ opening date to July 23. Many experts argued the influx of people coming to the Olympics could set off a new wave of infection.
- Organizers expect 11,000 athletes and tens of thousands of officials, judges, media and broadcasters to be present in Tokyo for the games.
Past backlash: This is not the first time that Bach has received backlash in Japan for his comments regarding the upcoming Games, reported The Washington Post.
- In March, he said that the Olympics would require a “great sacrifice.”
- In May, he praised the Japanese peoples’ “great resilience and spirit” for having “overcome adversity.”
- The comments were reportedly found distasteful, as many in Japan did not wish to host the games or make the sacrifices given the level of risks.
- AP News stated that public polls showed that 50%-80% of the people oppose the Olympics.
Featured Image via NBC Sports
