A leading official from the International Olympic Committee says organizers of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo must lean more heavily on foreign expertise in staging events where Japan does not have a strong background.

Tokyo 2020 was heavily criticized by a group of about 10 international sport federations at the SportAccord Convention in Bangkok in April over issues such as competition planning, water pollution and communication channels.

World Sailing led the attack, saying the organizing committee was "at least one year behind" in its preparations and there was a "serious gap" in understanding "what is required to deliver an Olympic sailing competition."

The federations for golf, judo, baseball/softball and triathlon were also among those with complaints.

In an interview with Kyodo News at the end of the latest IOC Coordination Commission's inspection of Tokyo's preparations last week, John Coates said the majority of the concerns raised in spring have now been addressed.

However, the commission's chairman -- who previously said Tokyo 2020 officials should be "forthright" in responding to federation concerns -- said the organizers must also identify the sports with which they require more help.

"It's a little bit to do with the profile of the sports in this country," said the Australian. "Obviously in sports in which Japan is not traditionally strong, and doesn't have a lot of experience in, then more liaison work with international federations is necessary."

"The federations are not going to have to worry too much about karate or judo or baseball or softball -- track and field, great experience there, swimming too -- but you go to rowing, canoeing, some of those sports, and it is going to need greater reliance on the international federations, in terms of operational planning."

Coates, a former rower, said that while federations provide competition officials to the Olympics, they also rely on local officials, citing his own sport as an example.

"In rowing you have locals who drive the speed boats, and you have to make sure they are trained so they know how far to sit back behind the crews and understand the importance of not creating wakes. Some of those things are going to need a lot more attention, in some sports more than others," he said.

Coates said the creation of a new role for Tokyo 2020 organizing committee member Hidemasa Nakamura should facilitate better communication with the federations, but said the importance of responding quickly to stakeholder concerns is "a message we continue to impress."

Coates said that in general the IOC was "very pleased" with the progress being made toward the games, highlighting the venues as an area for praise, but warned that with just over two years until competitions begin, there is much work still to be done.

He highlighted transport as the key challenge currently facing organizers, saying, "That's for the working of the city, but particularly we want to make sure that the athletes, technical officials and spectators are able to get to the events."

"That the link between, for example, a railway and a venue, that the buses are going to be there when they come off the railway to take them into the venue, all of those type of things, is the planning that still needs to be done," he said.

Coates was particularly excited about the "urban cluster" of venues that would see sports such as skateboarding, BMX, 3-on-3 basketball and sport climbing take place in the Tokyo Bay district.

"It is a de-facto Olympic park," he said. "Pedestrian flow will be important there, and we have to make sure we mitigate against the inevitable heat there for people walking around."

"But they have comprehended what we were getting at with an urban cluster for sports that are generally of interest to young people. We are very impressed with how that is taking shape."

The first competitions of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo will take place on July 22 with the opening ceremony on July 24 and the closing ceremony on Aug. 9.