Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games postponed by a year, now to be held in summer of 2021
The ensuing summer Olympic games scheduled to be held in Japan from July 24 this year have been postponed by a year. The postponement was necessitated by the outbreak of coronavirus as pandemic.
Media reports say that the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan asked Thomas Bahe postponement of the mega sporting event. The IOC Chief agreed “100 percent,” Mr. Abe told reporters.
The decision on Tuesday came after several rounds of internal discussions and mounting pressure from member National Olympic Committee, President of the International Olympic Committee IOC), for tees (NOCs), athletes, and even the International Sports Federations (ISFs).
Only yesterday, Canada and Australia had announced that they would not participate in Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in case they were held as scheduled. Even the World Athletics body too had urged the IOC to postpone the games as the health and well being of the athletes was of prime importance than holding the mega event.Several other NOCs and ISFs too wanted that the Games, the world’s largest sporting event, be postponed. Government lock downs to control the pandemic had shut down qualifying tournaments, closed training facilities and kept athletes sequestered at home.
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Japan had spent over $10 billion to prepare for holding the games. Earlier, Japan had held the Games in October, 1964. Looking back, the Olympic Games were cancelled thrice before, in 1916 because of the first World War and again in 1940 and 1944 because of the second World War.
The IOC in consultation with the Tokyo Olympic Games Organising Committee and the Japanese Olympic Committee will decide the new dates which are likely in summer of 2021. Many of other international events already listed in the calendar will have to be adjusted to make room for fresh dates for the Olympic Games.
-PTC News
