Tokyo 2020 Olympics body wants baseball, softball events in Fukushima

Tokyo, Nov 10: The organising committee of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is looking to host baseball and softball events in the Fukushima prefecture.

The International Olympic Committee is likely to approve the proposal during its executive board meeting from December 6 to December 8, sources from the committee confirmed to Efe on Thursday.

The cities of Fukushima, Koriyama and Iwaki – all in the Fukushima prefecture – have been identified as possible sites for competitions in baseball and softball, both of which are returning to the Olympics after 2008 Beijing Games.

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude-9 earthquake and tsunami had devastated the northeastern coast of Japan and left more than 18,000 people dead and missing.

It also led to a nuclear accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant, considered the worst since Chernobyl (Ukraine), 1986.

Besides the two sporting disciplines, the Japanese government has already proposed that the Olympic torch relay would pass through the most affected regions.

The Fukushima region has been eager to host Olympic events to show off its recovery since the disaster.