Tokyo 2020 organisers estimate Olympics postponement cost $1.9 billion: Report

Organisers of Tokyo Olympics have estimated that postponement of the games due to coronavirus has cost them about 200 billion yen ($1.9 billion), as per a report in Yomiuri newspaper on Sunday which cited people involved with the event.

In March, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Japanese government were forced to postpone the games to next year due to coronavirus pandemic. 

According to the report, the Games cost 1.35 trillion yen ($13 billion) before the postponement. 

The newspaper also reported that the organising committee will decide on a breakdown of the burden of the delay in December, after discussions between the committee, the Tokyo metropolitan government and the central government. 

A spokesman for the organisers, asked about the report, told Reuters by text message only that the committee is examining the extra costs associated with the delay.

As per the newspaper, the postponement costs include payment to staff as well as the introduction of new systems for refunding tickets but do not include measures against the spread of the coronavirus. 

The organisers had originally estimated that the delay would cost nearly 300 billion yen but they were able to reduce that figure by simplifying some events, the report said.

(Inputs from Reuters)