The Japanese Olympic Committee plans to set up a special team tasked with patrolling social media accounts of athletes to shield them from any potential hateful comments during the Tokyo Games starting next month, an official familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
If realized, it will be the first time that the JOC has created such a unit for Japanese Olympians. The envisioned team is expected to consult with investigative authorities if it finds online comments are especially malicious, according to the official, who declined to be named as a formal announcement has not yet been made.
For the Olympics, set to begin July 23, the JOC plans to have about 580 Japanese athletes, the biggest number ever.