Olympics-Tokyo set to decide on 2016 stadium venue

TOKYO, May 18 (Reuters) Tokyo's 2016 Olympic bid committee is set to discuss a proposal by the city's government to build a 0 million main stadium if chosen to host the Games.

Bid leaders are also examining the option of rebuilding Tokyo's National Stadium, which was used as the main arena for the 1964 Olympics, at an executive meeting next week.

''The executive board will meet on Tuesday to discuss the venue for the main stadium,'' chief director for Tokyo's bidding committee Kenji Suzuki told Reuters today.

''If the Tokyo government is going to build a stadium we have to consider that. But there are voices also in the world of sport who want to reconstruct the National Stadium.'' Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper has reported that Tokyo metropolitan government will use the private financial initiative to finance a state-of-the-art waterfront stadium.

But a spokesman for the metropolitan government told Reuters nothing concrete had been decided.

''At this stage we haven't formally announced anything,'' Motoaki Sakakibara said. ''At the moment it's an idea on the table among others despite what is being reported.'' Tokyo was chosen ahead of Fukuoka by the Japanese Olympic Committee last year for the country's 2016 bid nomination.

Opposition from several sports associations to building a second national stadium appears to have left the 2016 committee with two options.

Either they give the current location in central Tokyo a facelift or opt for a waterfront venue on the shores of Tokyo Bay.

''There will be some to-ing and fro-ing on the issue,'' said Suzuki. ''But we will negotiate with the Tokyo government before any final decision is made.'' REUTERS SSC SSC1345>