(ATR) The U.S. military in Japan is in favor of granting a request by the Japanese government to partially open the Yokota Air Base to commercial aircraft during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.
Brig. Gen. Christopher Mahoney, deputy commander of U.S. Forces Japan, told reporters in Tokyo on Monday "we will support it a hundred percent" if the U.S. State Department signs off on a detailed plan to share the military facility, according to Kyodo News.
Yokota Air Base, which is located in the suburbs of Tokyo, would help alleviate what is expected to be a surge of visitors that would otherwise be limited to flying into Tokyo’s two main commercial airports, Narita and Haneda.
According to Kyodo, Mahoney says that while no deal is in place yet, he suggested the U.S and Japan are holding "working-level talks" about it.
The U.S. and Japan agreed to consider Yokota for joint military and civilian use in 2003, but there has been no movement on the issue since then.
In March 2011, several commercial aircraft werediverted to Yokota from Narita after the latter was closed in response to the massive earthquake and tsunami that hit mainland Japan.
Mondo Named Sole Supplier for Athletics
Mondo S.p.A. and the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee reach an agreement for the Italian company to become the sole supplier in the athletic equipment and athletic track category.
Mondo will provide track surfaces, hurdles and batons for track events, bars and mats for jumping events, and cages for throwing events, all of which will be redesigned and re-engineered specially for the Tokyo 2020 Games. Their equipment will be installed at the Olympic Stadium and in the warm-up areas outside the stadium.
"Mondo is extremely focused on helping track and field athletes improve their performance, not only because we want to provide the best conditions to perform, but we also want to help them record their fastest times ever during one of the world’s biggest and most exciting competitions," said Maurizio Stroppiana, General Manager of Mondo’s Sport & Flooring Division.
Mondo has been the official supplier of athletics tracks for the past 11 Summer Games, beginning with Montreal in 1976. Since the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, the company has been the official supplier for athletics tracks, as well as equipment and surfaces for other sports disciplines.
Written by Gerard Farek
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