Around 280 certified sports doctors applied for 200 spots the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic organizing committee want to fill for this summer's games, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.
The sources said the doctors would be unpaid volunteers, and the organizers are keen to ensure the impact on the local medical system in Japan is kept to a minimum as it is already stretched amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The organizers came under fire in April after requesting the Japanese Nursing Association to secure 500 nurses to provide medical services during the games.
The latest news will be a welcome boost for the organizers, although a sense of distrust remains among local medical personnel and the public with Japan facing a resurgence of virus infections.
The organizers had made the request through the Japan Sport Association for the sports doctors, who will work at medical rooms at the athletes village and competition venues, among other sites.
The sources said the doctors will mainly be orthopedists and dentists and will take part in the early stages of clinical examinations.
Certified sports doctors have held a medical license for more than four years and must have also attended a course by the JSA. Their activities include providing medical services at tournaments and serving as team doctors.
