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Japan Times: A-bomb cities shrug off cold IOC response
Hiroshima and Nagasaki will continue to explore the possibility of cohosting the 2020 Summer Olympic Games despite a negative response from a key International Olympic Committee executive, officials said Tuesday. "We understand that we have to overcome towering hurdles, though we haven't received an official response from the IOC side," said Koji Utsunomiya, head of Hiroshima's sports promotion division. Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue said, "We will come up with necessary measures after hearing the actual reasons (for the negative comments)." Taue and Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba announced Sunday that the two atomic-bombed cities have decided to set up a joint committee to bid for the games. Citing the Olympic Charter's policy on host cities, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli expressed a negative view Monday on a joint bid. "The Olympic Charter clearly states only one city can host the Olympics. It does not allow two cities to cohost the games. At the moment, the answer is no," Felli said. Referring to discussions during the recent Olympic Congress meeting, he said: "There was a proposal to review the bid process, and it may change in the future. But the bid process for the 2020 games will start in July or August of 2011 and it is unlikely that the process will change by then"...Given the development, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said Tuesday that the central government didn't want to comment yet because it is not clear what the Japanese Olympic Committee, which operates events and provides services to promote the games, intends to do...more...