National Olympic Committees to benefit from US$11.7 million of Tokyo 2020 funding to cover Coronavirus costs

The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) is to make US$11.7 million of funding available to National Olympic Committees to assist with the financial impact of the Coronavirus crisis and cover some of the additional costs associated with the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

A technical working group made up of representatives from ANOC, the Continental Olympic Committees and the director of the Olympic Solidarity program decided on the funding, which will be distributed to NOCs through each of the five continental associations.

As reported by SportBusiness, some of the money earmarked for organising this year’s ANOC general assembly in Seoul, South Korea, which has been postponed to 2021, has been used to boost the emergency fund.

With the money to be allocated to help NOCs cover the additional athlete training and preparation costs associated with the delay of the Tokyo Olympics, an ANOC statement indicated all 206 NOCs would be able to apply for funding directly through their continental associations on a case-by-case basis.

Indirect assistance will also be provided through each of the continental association’s Tokyo 2020-specific projects such as training camps and athlete preparation programs.

In many cases government funding is allocated to NOCs in four-year cycles, often ending after the Summer Games. This leaves many NOCs facing funding shortfalls between the originally-planned start date for the Tokyo Olympics and their rescheduled start date in July next year.

Explaining the funding, acting ANOC president Robin Mitchell stated “we are committed to helping NOCs and their athletes prepare for Tokyo 2020 by providing additional funding that will assist NOCs with the exceptional costs associated with the year delay of the Games.

“The Technical Working Group has agreed the distribution of the funding in the fairest and most effective way possible to ensure all NOCs benefit directly or indirectly. ANOC is committed to serving, promoting and protecting the interests of the NOCs and we will continue to work to assist them in any way we can.”

Last week it was revealed that around two-thirds of Swiss-based international federations had made use of repayable loans half-covered by the International Olympic Committee and half-covered by the Swiss federal and cantonal authorities.

Like the NOCs, many international federations are faced with the threat of cash-flow shortages after the cancellation of Tokyo 2020 raised doubts over when they would receive a share of revenues from the IOC. The organisation distributes revenue to international federations in different tiers based on their audience and size.

Image: The interior of the Tokyo Olympic Stadium. Courtesy of the Japan Sports Council.