It’s madness to spend billions on the Olympics during a pandemic that’s crippled economies and health services

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony (AP)

Given the Covid pandemic, how can it be justified to spend billions of dollars to fly thousands of people across the world to gather together for a few weeks to skateboard and surf, as well as compete in traditional sporting events, with no spectators and diminished TV audiences prepared to watch what are mostly boring events?

Sorry, but surely during a health and economic crisis all this money should have been used to stem the virus and assist those who have suffered the economic consequences of the long shutdown. The Olympic Games in Tokyo are total madness. It is time they were reverted to their original sporting democratic ideals.

Peter Fieldman