Organizers divided on whether Tokyo Olympics can take place: "Elephant in the room"

Organizers divided on whether Tokyo Olympics can take place: "Elephant in the room"

The organizers of the Olympic Games in Tokyo emphasized on Friday that the postponed Olympic Games will indeed take place next summer, the day after the Japanese government declared a state of emergency in and around the Japanese capital.


That decision came as a result of a record number of new corona infections in the region. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced on Thursday that the state of emergency would last for a month from Friday.


The organizing committee behind Tokyo 2020 has already repeated several times that a new postponement of the Games is not an option. The state of emergency will not change plans, organizers confirmed Friday. "This state of emergency provides an opportunity to control the COVID-19 situation. In order to ensure that Tokyo 2020 provides safe Games this summer, we will therefore make the necessary preparations," a press release said.


Canadian Dick Pound, the longest-serving member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is less confident. He doubts whether the Games can take place in Tokyo, he said to the BBC. "I'm not sure because of the fluctuations in the virus," said Pound. "That remains the elephant in the room, a difficult matter"


The Olympic Games, which were postponed by a year due to the corona pandemic, are scheduled to run from July 23 to August 8, 2021.

Source: De Standaard 08/01 via License2publish

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