2020 Tokyo Olympics: Even thinking of postponement very painful, says Bach

2020 Tokyo Olympics: Even thinking of postponement very painful, says Bach

ISLAMABAD: Tokyo Olympics will go ahead as planned as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is adopting wait and see policy, directing the athletes preparing for the mega event to continue their preparations.

IOC President Thomas Bach held over one hour video conference with Asian countries’ National Olympic Committee heads on Thursday. The meeting that was also attended by Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) representatives and Tokyo Olympic organisers discussed in length and breadth on the Olympic Games getting under way from July 24 to August 9.

“The IOC President has made it clear that Olympic Movement and athletes are the top priority and IOC’s every action and decision would be guided by these factors. We will adopt wait and see policy as far as Tokyo Olympic Games are concerned in the wake of serious threats from Coronavirus,” Lt Gen (r) Arif Hasan, president Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), said.

He added that the IOC president asked all the national Olympic committees to coordinate with the respective federations and ensure continuous training of athletes planning to compete in the Games.

“Tell your athletes to continue their preparations for the Games. The NOC should also continue with their preparations aiming at preparing the nation to compete in the mega Games.”

The worst-hit Chinese Olympic Association revealed that their preparations for the Games were in full swing. “Our athletes’ training never stopped as they continue training and improving ahead of their participation in the Games.

“Even the organisers from Tokyo said they are ready to host the Games and have already completed all their pre-Games preparations and arrangements. We want the Games to go ahead as planned,” the organisers said.

Bach, however, said that the IOC would be closely monitoring the situation and discussing further updates with the NOCs in due course.

“We will continue to monitor situation as it comes. Further discussion with the NOCs will be held in April. For the time being the Games will be held as planned in Tokyo,” Bach added.

He said during the discussion that it was very painful to even think of postponement as the host country put in years and years of efforts to prepare and get ready for the mega event.

It has been learnt that majority of countries opposed postponement of the Games in the wake of virus pandemic that has already reached 174 countries around the world. The IOC is expected to issue official handout on the outcome of these discussions at the end of their ongoing endeavour.

AFP adds from London: World athletics chief Sebastian Coe admitted on Thursday that the Tokyo Olympics could be moved to later in the year by the coronavirus outbreak, but said it was too early to make a definitive decision.

Olympic bosses acknowledged on Wednesday there was no “ideal” solution as a growing number of athletes expressed concern.

The COVID-19 pandemic is playing havoc with the global sporting calendar, forcing the postponement of Euro 2020 and a suspension of the tennis season.

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said earlier this week that starting on schedule on July 24 remained the organisation’s goal.

But Coe, who is a member of the Tokyo Olympics Games Coordination Commission, conceded in an interview with the BBC that a delay was possible. “That is possible, anything is possible at the moment,” said Coe when asked whether the Games could be postponed to September or October.

“But I think the position that sport has certainly taken, and it was certainly the temperature of the room in the conversation I had the other day with the IOC and our other federations, is that nobody is saying we will be going to the Games come what may. But it isn’t a decision that has to be made at this moment.”

Coe, who played a pivotal role in securing the Olympics for London in 2012, said postponing the Games until 2021 could present problems.

“That seems on the surface of it an easy proposition, but member federations actually avoid Olympic years often to have their world championships,” he said.

Britain’s retired four-time rowing Olympic gold medallist Matthew Pinsent called for decisive action. “On a global front we have other priorities and I think the Olympics should at the very least be saying we should postpone or indeed just cancel at this stage and we’ll talk about postponement later on,” he told the BBC. “I just don’t think there’s much of a choice at this stage.”

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/631695-2020-tokyo-olympics-even-thinking-of-postponement-very-painful-says-bach