TOKYO—Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told the media on Monday if any places hosting events of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics declare a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 epidemic during the games, the events will continue to be held but without spectators. With one month to go before the games are due to begin on July 23, Suga is again showing his administration’s determination to hold the Olympic Games as planned, despite so much pressure from various parties urging it to cancel the event.

Although the Japanese government regards the Tokyo Olympics as an important opportunity to improve its soft power, the Japanese people’s enthusiasm for the Games has been continuously dented since they were postponed last year. The resurgence of the novel coronavirus in some places in Japan in recent months has cast a shadow over people’s confidence that the Olympics will not give rise to new groups of infections, and there are fears that the Games will provide new channels for the virus' global transmission.

Some torchbearers from Japan have withdrawn from the Olympic torch relay in the country. And the latest survey indicates only 34 percent of Japanese people support holding the games according to the schedule. Predictably, the Suga administration will do all it can to try to ensure the games go ahead. But it remains to be seen whether it can stand the tests of the uncertainties related to epidemic prevention and control that might happen during the Games.

Since it has not yet got the virus under control at home, the people have reasons to question its ability to deal with the prevention and control work when large numbers of participants will arrive in Japan from around the world in a short time. It is to be hoped that Japan can draw lessons from the organization of epidemic prevention and control work during the ongoing UEFA European Championship, carry out strict epidemic prevention and control measures, and be prepared for emergencies to guarantee the safety and success of the Olympics at this special time.

It should be a common wish of the whole world that the Tokyo Olympics can become a stage showing unity and resolve of human beings in their fight against the virus. That will endow the games with special meaning beyond sports.

As a high school coach, I did all I could to help my boys win their games. One thing, however, changed my view on victories. I was refereeing (担任裁判) a championship basketball game between New Rochelle and Yonkers High.

New Rochelle, the home team, was coached by Dan O’Brien, Yonkers by Les Beck. The gym was too crowded to hear the buzzer (终场哨). The game was well played. Yonkers was leading by one point as there were but 30 seconds left to play.

New Rochelle got the ball and tapped it in (投进篮筐) for what looked like victory. I took a look at the clock and saw that the game was over. I hadn’t heard the final buzzer because of the noise. I checked with the other official, but he could not help me.

So I approached the timekeeper, a young man of 17 or so. He said, “Mr. Covino, the buzzer went off as the ball rolled off the rim (篮筐) before the final tap-in was made.”

I was in a dilemma about whether to tell Coach O’Brien the sad news. “Dan,” I said, “time ran out before the final basket was tapped in. Yonkers won the game.”

His face clouded over. The young timekeeper came up. He said, “I’m sorry, Dad. The time ran out before the final basket.”

Suddenly, like the sun coming out from behind a cloud, Coach O’Brien’s face lit up. He said, “That’s okay, Joe. You did what you had to do. I’m proud of you.” Turning to me, he said, “Al, I want you to meet my son, Joe.”

The two of them then walked off the court together, the coach’s arm around his son’s shoulder.

A child’s birthday party doesn’t have to be ahassle; it can be a basket of fun, according to Beth Anaclerio, an Evaston mother of two, ages 4 and 18 months.

“Having a party at home usually requires a lot of running around on the part of the parents, and often the birthday boy or girl gets lost in wild excitement. But it really doesn’t have to be that way,” said Anaclerio. Last summer, Anaclerio and her friend Jill Carlisle, a Northbrook mother of a 2-year –old, founded a home party-planning business called “A Party in a Basket.” Their goal is to help parents and children share in the fun part of party planning, like choosing the subject or making a cake, while they take care of everything.

Drawing on their experiences as mothers, they have created 10 ready-to-use, home party packages. Everything a family needs to plan a party, except the cake and ice cream, is delivered to the home in a large basket.

“Our parties are aimed for children 2 to 10, ” Anaclerio said, “and they’re very interactive （互动） and creative in that they build a sense of drama based on a subject. For example, at the Soda Shoppe party the guests become waiters and waitresses and build wonderful ice cream creations.”

The standard $ 200 package for eight children includes a basket filled with invitations, gifts, games and prizes, paper goods, a party planner and the like. For more information, call Anaclerio at 708-864-6584 or Carlisle at 708-205-9141.

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