The meeting saw the formation of four technical committees, one for roads and infrastructure, one for houses and properties, one for dams and water facilities, and one for energy and water
uae2 hours ago
The postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics was a heavy blow for many athletes, but a team of South Sudanese sprinters training in a Japanese town are hoping to turn the delay to their advantage.
The four athletes and a coach have been in the city of Maebashi, north of Tokyo, since November, taking advantage of training facilities that aren't available in their young but poor home country.
And with news of the historic postponement of the Games over the coronavirus, they've decided to stay on until at least July, hoping to beef up their skills.
"The Tokyo Olympics (have been) postponed. It's not a problem," team coach Joseph Rensio Tobia Omirok, 59, told AFP.
"I'm happy because I'm still training, and in other countries they have no training. They're sitting in their house but here we are OK... Training now is going OK."
The decision to postpone the Games for a year until July 2021 came after athletes and sports associations heaped pressure on organisers and Olympic officials, pointing to scrapped qualifying events and restrictions on training.
Japan has so far avoided the sort of major outbreak seen in Europe and the United States and even a state of emergency declared on Tuesday only applies to some parts of the country, not including Gunma prefecture, where Maebashi is located.
The city of 340,000 has pledged to continue helping the young athletes by providing them with accommodation, meals and the use of a local public track, along with an army of volunteer coaches and translators.
Maebashi decided to host the team -- the coach, one female and two male Olympic sprinters and one male Paralympic sprinter -- as part of its efforts to promote peace through sports.
The athletes have visited local schools and community events to talk about their homeland, which won independence in 2011 and has been battling to recover from a civil war.
They regularly practise with local children and have learned to speak simple Japanese.
The athletes say they have come to enjoy life in the city, abloom with cherry blossoms after a bitter winter, despite being more than 10,000 kilometres from home, where they had to practise on simple empty fields, not a track.
The meeting saw the formation of four technical committees, one for roads and infrastructure, one for houses and properties, one for dams and water facilities, and one for energy and water
uae2 hours ago
Distance learning also implemented due to nationwide transportation strike
asia2 hours ago
For prospective investors, it is worth considering if a future home would be rain-resilient enough to sustain any weather changes
realty3 hours ago
What happens if the employee fails to perform his duties due to circumstances beyond his control?
legal4 hours ago
Formation of convective clouds and varying rainfall intensities suggests the possibility of heavy rain in certain areas
weather4 hours ago
Who takes custody of kids under 18 if Muslim mother initiates divorce proceedings?
uae5 hours ago
Temperature will reach up to 36ºC and 37ºC in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, respectively
uae6 hours ago
When the water could finally be cleared, almost half their stock of 20,000 books had been destroyed
uae7 hours ago