WORLD
Japanese Olympic Committee head Tsunekazu Takeda denies accusation of corruption linked to 2020 bid
![Japanese Olympic Committee head Tsunekazu Takeda denies accusation of corruption linked to 2020 bid](/files/2019/1/1200x630/1547651828566234954_1200x630.jpg)
Baku, January 16, AZERTAC
Japanese Olympic Committee head Tsunekazu Takeda on Tuesday denied an accusation of “active corruption” leveled by French investigators in connection with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to The Japan Times.
Takeda`s denial followed reports last week that French prosecutors have brought a preliminary charge against him for alleged corruption as part of their scrutiny of the bidding for the 2020 Summer Olympics and other major sports events.
“I will fully cooperate with French authorities in investigating this matter and do my utmost to prove my innocence,” Takeda told a news conference in Tokyo on Tuesday.
“Tokyo won the 2020 race because the city presented the best bid,” Tokyo 2020 spokesman Masa Takaya said in his interview later on Tuesday.
“The mission of the organizing committee is to deliver the Games for athletes and spectators around the world. We want to continue to focus on this mission to make this happen.”
“The organizing committee was established after the election so the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee has no idea to know the details of its (bidding team) activities.
“There will be no impact to Games preparations,” Takaya stressed.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said during a visit to the Japanese capital in December that he couldn`t remember a host city being as well prepared as Tokyo.
Takaya said there had been no “specific signals or messages” from the IOC to Tokyo 2020 organizers regarding Takeda.