New Japanese Olympic Committee president Tsunekazu Takeda said Wednesday that he would like to send Japanese athletes to the Salt Lake City Olympics in February as long as the Winter Olympic Games go ahead.

"I know we should talk to various people to get the consensus of the JOC on this issue.

But in my opinion, Japan should participate in the Olympics as long as the Games are held.

It's always the athletes who suffer, but athletes don't get many chances to compete in the Olympics," Takeda said in his first press conference as JOC president.

The former equestrian took part in the Olympics twice, in 1972 and 1976, but was forced to skip the 1980 Moscow Olympics when Japan withdrew from the Summer Games.

Earlier in the day, Takeda was appointed to succeed the late Yushiro Yagi, who died early last month, after receiving unanimous approval at the JOC Council.

Takeda, 53, is the youngest president in JOC history.

Takeda's period of service will run through the end of March 2003.

Takeda has served as a JOC executive board member since 1991 and a JOC managing director since April of this year.

He also serves as a vice president of the Japan Equestrian Federation and the International Equestrian Federation.

Takeda, a native of Tokyo, is a descendant of the Meiji Emperor and his father, Tsuneyoshi, was the JOC chairman in 1962-69 and an International Olympic Committee executive board member.

Tsuneyoshi was nicknamed "Prince Takeda" by IOC members.

Tsunekazu Takeda said he would carry to fruition the plans that Yagi had for the JOC -- in particular improving the marketing and financial base of the JOC and working on internationalizing and reforming the committee.

The JOC has already formed a project team to work on crisis management following the terrorist attacks in the United States.