Tokyo, Nov 16 (IANS): Japan will begin the construction of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics stadium in early 2017, the media reported on Monday.
"If all goes well, it will begin around the start of 2017," Xinhua quoted Takakuni Ikeda, a board member of Japan Sport Council, as saying on Sunday.
Monday was the deadline for submission of plans for the new stadium detailing the overall design and cost. Blueprints will be requested next year.
A 113,000 square metres land will be allotted for the new stadium which is about 1.5 times the size of the old one.
Demolition of the old stadium, which was built to host the 1964 Olympic Games, was completed late last month.