Oct 04 (NHK) - The Japan National Championships for track and field events ended on Saturday after three days of competition.
As sports events have been postponed or cancelled one after another due to the coronavirus outbreak, the three-day tournament was a key test of how to manage future sporting competitions.
The national championships were originally scheduled to be held in June in Osaka City. But the event was delayed due to the spread of the virus and the venue was changed to Niigata City.
About 700 athletes took part in 15 athletic events each for men and women. Spectators were limited to 2,000 people living in Niigata Prefecture.
The organizer, the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, gave top priority to coronavirus prevention measures. JAAF used new apps to check the health of athletes and officials and set up a non-contact temperature testing system at the entrance to the venue.
The senior managing director of the association, Ogata Mitsugi, said he hopes this tournament is a step toward holding the Olympic and Paralympic Games safely.
