Coronavirus, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games postponed to 2021
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed: the effectiveness came after a phone call between the Japanese premier and the IOC president.
The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 have been postponed. The International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee announced on Tuesday 24 March. The effectiveness came after a phone between the Japanese premier and the president of the IOC (International Olympic Committee), according to reports from the Japanese broadcaster NHK.
President Bach and Prime Minister Abe expressed their shared concern about the global pandemic COVID-19 and the consequences it is causing worldwide, as well as the consequent effects of preparing global athletes for the Games. In a very friendly and constructive meeting, the two leaders praised the work of the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and noted the great progress made in Japan to combat COVID-19.
The unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the epidemic has seen the deterioration of the situation in the rest of the world. The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is “accelerating”. The Games will retain their original name – Tokyo 2020 – and, according to Premier Abe, will represent for the whole world “the testimony of the defeat of the virus“.
Under current circumstances and based on information provided today by the OMS, the President of the IOC and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the XXXII Tokyo Olympics Games should be rescheduled at a later date than 2020, but no later than the summer 2021, to protect the health of athletes, all participants in the Olympic Games and the international community, leaders agreed that the Tokyo Olympic Games could be a beacon of hope for the world during these difficult times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world is currently located. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will remain in Japan. It has also been agreed that the Games will retain the name of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.