The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Faces A Likely Postponment Due To The World Coronavirus Pandemic .
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is considering a postponement of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, and has given itself a deadline of four weeks to make a decision.
Few days after insisting that the 2020 Olympic Games would go ahead as planned, Tokyo's Organizing Committee says that postponement is now a realistic option, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Games which is scheduled to start July 24 and end on August 9, is likely to be postponed, after a meeting held on Sunday by the Executive board of IOC led by President Thomas Bach, amid a mounting pressure from athletes and national Olympic committees.
A statement from the Olympic website says;
"In light of the worldwide deteriorating situation... the executive board has today initiated the next step in the IOC's scenario-planning, “different scenarios” for the Games are being considered for the first time".
To postpone the Games "is an extremely complex challenge" and a cancellation would "destroy the Olympic dream of 11,000 athletes, and a number of critical venues needed for the Games could potentially not be available anymore".... Added the President Bach.
The IOC will, in full coordination and partnership with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee headed by the Japanese Yoshiro Mori, alongside other committees, will have to start detailed discussions in order to complete its assessment of the rapid development of the worldwide health situation and its impact on the Olympic Games, including the possibility of postponement, and would arrive at a final decision within four weeks.
CloudNine Sports understands that, The Canadian Olympic Committee has made thier decision known this morning, and plans not to send athletes to the Tokyo Games this summer, as they become the first country to threaten such a move in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, calling for the Games to be postponed for a year.
The Australian Olympic Committee have further added more pressure by also pulling out of the games next summer.
The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe admits the Olympics cannot be held under the current circumstances saying:
"If I'm asked whether we can hold the Olympics at this point in time, I would have to say that the world is not in such a condition”
The UK, Brazil, Norway, Slovenia and other Olympic committees have also urged the IOC to take action and put the Games back to next year.
Few days after insisting that the 2020 Olympic Games would go ahead as planned, Tokyo's Organizing Committee says that postponement is now a realistic option, due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Games which is scheduled to start July 24 and end on August 9, is likely to be postponed, after a meeting held on Sunday by the Executive board of IOC led by President Thomas Bach, amid a mounting pressure from athletes and national Olympic committees.
A statement from the Olympic website says;
"In light of the worldwide deteriorating situation... the executive board has today initiated the next step in the IOC's scenario-planning, “different scenarios” for the Games are being considered for the first time".
To postpone the Games "is an extremely complex challenge" and a cancellation would "destroy the Olympic dream of 11,000 athletes, and a number of critical venues needed for the Games could potentially not be available anymore".... Added the President Bach.
The IOC will, in full coordination and partnership with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee headed by the Japanese Yoshiro Mori, alongside other committees, will have to start detailed discussions in order to complete its assessment of the rapid development of the worldwide health situation and its impact on the Olympic Games, including the possibility of postponement, and would arrive at a final decision within four weeks.
CloudNine Sports understands that, The Canadian Olympic Committee has made thier decision known this morning, and plans not to send athletes to the Tokyo Games this summer, as they become the first country to threaten such a move in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, calling for the Games to be postponed for a year.
The Australian Olympic Committee have further added more pressure by also pulling out of the games next summer.
The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe admits the Olympics cannot be held under the current circumstances saying:
"If I'm asked whether we can hold the Olympics at this point in time, I would have to say that the world is not in such a condition”
The UK, Brazil, Norway, Slovenia and other Olympic committees have also urged the IOC to take action and put the Games back to next year.
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