GETTING A MEDAL FOR RECYCLING: HOW OLD DEVICES ARE TURNED INTO OLYMPIC MEDALS FOR TOKYO 2020

GETTING A MEDAL FOR RECYCLING: HOW OLD DEVICES ARE TURNED INTO OLYMPIC MEDALS FOR TOKYO 2020

PRESIDENT THOMAS BACH JOINED TOKYO'S GOVERNOR YURIKO KOIKE ON SUNDAY FOR A SYMBOLIC CEREMONY DEMONSTRATING THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020.

He deposited an old mobile phone which, along with thousands of old devices, will be recycled, with the gold, silver and bronze recovered and turned into Olympic medals for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. During the meeting, the President and the Governor discussed their close cooperation in the preparation of the Olympic Games.

President Bach said that they were both "sitting in the same boat, working together for the success of the Olympic Games". He thanked the Governor for the many resources Tokyo was making available to the Organising Committee and for the initiative to create city volunteers.

Governor Koike outlined that with a little over 600 days to go, Tokyo had been recruiting thousands of volunteers to greet the visitors during the Games and help things to run smoothly.

Earlier, the President spent the morning with athletes from across the region, starting with athlete representatives from all 44 National Olympic Committees in Asia who had gathered for the OCA Athletes’ Forum. He took questions from the athletes, who were equally split between men and women. During the meeting the President urged them, as the legitimate voice of the athletes, to make their views known at every level of the organisation and in society at large.

The meeting took place at the Japanese National Training Centre. Later, President Bach met several Japanese athletes in fencing, weightlifting and table tennis, who are preparing to represent their country in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The President also had the opportunity to meet 11 young athletes from across Asia who are beneficiaries of Olympic Solidarity scholarships. Hearing their individual stories, he encouraged them to keep up their hard work and continue their efforts in trying to qualify for the Olympic Games.