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Fans Outside of Japan Can’t Attend 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Organizers Say

Overseas ticket-holders will not be allowed to attend the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Over 1 million people outside of Japan have allegedly purchased tickets.

Organizers announced Saturday that overseas ticket-holders will not be allowed to attend the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, ESPN reports. Officials are planning to issue refunds to the more than 1 million people outside of Japan that have already purchased a ticket, but reimbursement will be handled through authorized ticket sellers, who may charge up to a 20 percent fee. Organizers were expecting to make $800 million from selling tickets at home and abroad, and the lost income will have to be covered by the Japanese government. Although the Olympics isn’t set to take place until late July, organizers decided to announce their “difficult decision” on Saturday because it would “cause a lot of inconvenience” if held off until later, said Seiko Hashimoto, president of the organizing committee. About 4.45 million local ticket-holders will be allowed to attend the games.