Tokyo Sports Expo 2014 Draws 215,000 Visitors

TOKYO, Oct. 23, 2014 -- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Sport Benefits Corporation jointly held "Tokyo Sports Expo 2014" on Oct. 11 and 12, 2014, simultaneously at Komazawa Olympic Park and Showa Kinen Park, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games and offer the public a chance to enjoy sports and become more interested in sports.

A total of about 215,000 people visited the two-day event at the two locations where well-known athletes gave lessons in sports and a wide variety of hands-on programs were held.

During the grand finale on Oct. 12 at Showa Kinen Park, Olympic and Paralympic athletes such as boxer Ryota Murata and three weightlifting Miyake family members -- Yoshinobu, Yoshiyuki and Hiromi -- and wheelchair basketball player Shinji Negi held a talk show under the theme of "1964, 2014 and 2020."

Five people walked about 32 kilometers from Komazawa Olympic Park to Showa Kinen Park, carrying flags with messages from athletes and visitors at the Komazawa park who expressed their full enthusiasm toward the 2020 Games. The audience at Showa Kinen Park gave a wide variety of light-themes fantastic performances a thunderous round of applause.

Yoshitaka Okazaki, deputy director general of the Bureau of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Preparation, said in his closing remarks, "We will make every effort to pass on the legacy of the 1964 games to the 2020 games so that we can see the best Olympic and Paralympic Games in history in 2020. We would like you to take this opportunity, Tokyo Sports Expo 2014, to foster your dreams and raise hope toward the year 2020."

Source:
Tokyo Metropolitan Government / Bureau of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Preparation,Tokyo Sport Benefits Corporation (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation)

Contact:
Hiroyuki Kashiwabara, Satoko Konno / Projects Section / Sports Promotion Division / Bureau of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games Preparation / Tel: +81-3-5320-7714 (direct phone number) / +81-3-5321-1111 (Metropolitan Government extension number, 38-236)/ Mail: Satoko_Konno@member.metro.tokyo.jp

SOURCE Tokyo Metropolitan Government by press release through PRNewswire
http://prw.kyodonews.jp/opn/release/201410224836/