Tokyo Inks Paralympics Sponsor

(ATR) Equipment used by Paralympians for competition and everyday use will be serviced by Ottobock for the 2020 Olympics.

Ottobock will be an "official supporter," the third tier of domestic sponsorship for Tokyo 2020 according to a release. The total of domestic sponsors for the Games is now 63.

It will be the sixteenth Paralympic Games Ottobock partnered with the local organizing committee. The company has a worldwide partnership with the International Paralympic Committee through 2020.

The sponsorship covers the "Therapeutical Medical Devices, Rehabilitation and Mobility Healthcare Products and Exoskeleton" category. Tokyo 2020 estimates that the company will conduct around 2,000 repairs involving around 15,000 spare parts during the Paralympics.

"Ottobock has helped athletes at previous Games perform at their best through their support and their servicing of prosthetic components," Yoshiro Mori, Tokyo 2020 President, said in a prepared statement. "With their help, we will prepare the best possible Games environment where para-athletes can focus on their performance."

Change Makers on Commissions

The IOC says it will be including more of its "Young Change-Makers," on more commissions starting in 2019.

The change-makers are given grants by the IOC to "establish social projects using sport to impact their local communities". Last year seven change-makers were included on IOC commissions according to a release. A total of 42 individuals received grants from the program in 2018.

Thomas Bach said adding more young people to IOC commissions "is your home to present your ideas, your projects and make your comments," at a Youth Summit in Tokyo this week. The summit took place on the sidelines of a busy week of Olympic related meetings in the next Summer Games host city.

Earlier in the week the Association of National Olympic Committees held its General Assembly in Tokyo, and the IOC Executive Board met. The Youth Summer was hosted by the IOC in Tokyo, and featured representatives from Tokyo 2020 to learn how to "frame their own youth engagement programs"

The IOC established the network of "Young Change-Makers" during the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games. The program has funded over 280 people and projects since its inauguration.

"This is a Movement that needs to stay relevant and this is how we can help," Rania Rahardja, a change-maker from Singapore, said in a statement. "Our meeting with the President is to discuss the issues that matter to us and having this diversity of young voices heard."

New Station Named

An under construction subway station on one of Tokyo’s central train lines has been named.

The new Yamanote line station will open in June 2020 in time for the Tokyo Olympics. It will be called "Takanawa Gateway," and is located next to Shinagawa station.

品川駅と田町駅の間に建設中の新駅の名前は「高輪ゲートウェイ駅」にhttps://t.co/8yLCxVzHcx

Written by Aaron Bauer in Tokyo

For general comments or questions, click here .

25 Years at # 1: Your best source for news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com , for subscribers only.