The playbook for the Olympic and Paralympic Family has been published ©IOC

Olympic family members attending this summer’s Games in Tokyo are to be barred from visiting the Olympic Village.

This is revealed in a 33-page playbook for Olympic and Paralympic family members.

The relevant passage states that "in order to protect the health of athletes, access to the Olympic and Paralympic Village has been restricted".

It goes on: "Unfortunately, you will not have access."

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) along with organisers in Japan are doing all in their power to permit the Games to go ahead in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic that forced their postponement last year.

The new dates are July 23 to August 8 for the Olympics and August 24 to September 5 for the Paralympics.

Fans from outside Japan are not being permitted to attend.

The document makes clear that certain "top business executives" are included in the definition of Olympic family.

It says: "The Olympic and Paralympic families are diverse groups of senior leaders from all sectors of the sports industry who attend the Olympic and Paralympic Games to fulfil essential Games-related tasks.

"It also includes leaders from other sectors of society, including top business executives and international and domestic dignitaries, who attend the Games in their various capacities."

Olympic family members will not have access to the Tokyo 2020 Athletes' Village ©Getty Images
Olympic family members will not have access to the Tokyo 2020 Athletes' Village ©Getty Images

A number of multinational companies from inside and outside Japan provide cash and other support to the IOC through The Olympic Partner (TOP) worldwide sponsorship programme.

TOP contributions were valued at just over $1 billion (£725 million/€848 million) during the 2013-to-2016 Olympic cycle and have been rising rapidly since then.

The playbook also includes instructions for Olympic and Paralympic family members equipped with their own private transport in Tokyo.

"If you use a private vehicle that does not form part of the official Games fleet," the book says, "make sure that the driver is wearing a mask; that the vehicle is aired and disinfected regularly; and that a partition screen is installed between the front seats and back seats".

The playbook’s introduction, entitled Stronger Together, is signed by John Coates, chair of the Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission and an IOC vice-president.

"An update will be published by April and may change as we get closer to the Games," the Australian writes.

"We will make sure you have all the information you need, as quickly as possible."

The full document is available here.