Jul 05, 2021 (Japan Times) - Ensuring 11,000 athletes from more than 200 countries descend on one city over 16 days is a logistical challenge at the best of times.
Now consider doing it during the tail end of a pandemic that’s upended airlines’ flight schedules, closed international borders and made any movement without vaccinations and multiple COVID-19 tests impossible.
For hundreds of Olympic organizing officials eyeing the start of the Tokyo Games in just 18 days, it’s a major headache. Forget about medal tallies and post-race parties (to the limited extent they’re permitted at all), just getting to Japan on time is half the battle.
For example, take Fiji, a tiny South Pacific island nation best known for its pristine beaches and tropical seas. The Fijian men’s and women’s Rugby Sevens — plus a handful of swimmers, sailors and other athletes — aren’t flying coach so much as cargo. From Nadi to Narita, Team Fiji will fly on a service that generally transports express mail and chilled seafood like tuna and mahi mahi.
“Travel is definitely a major challenge,” said Lorraine Mar, head of the Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee. “Fiji Airways isn’t doing any commercial flights at the current time so we’re going up on a cargo run.”
Mar said Fiji was trying to coordinate with other South Pacific nations to “do a milk run around the other islands to to collect everyone, but it wasn’t commercially viable.”
Papua New Guinea’s team plans to fly to Brisbane and then onto Tokyo while Samoa’s squad will likely go first to Auckland and then fly Air New Zealand, she said.
