Harshita
TOKYO: On Monday, the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told the Parliament that the Tokyo Olympic Games cannot be cancelled by any means. However, it could get postponed keeping in mind the current situation of the world regarding the novel coronavirus.
This is the first time that the PM Abe has announced that the games, scheduled to be started on 24th July, might be put off after receiving mounting pressure from various sports organizations across the globe, reported by Xinhua news agency.
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Hinting towards the idea of postponement, Abe said, "If it is difficult to hold the games in such a way, we have to decide to postpone it, giving top priority to (the health of the) athletes." However, he stressed, "Cancellation is not an option."
International Olympics Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach sent out an open letter to athletes on Sunday that said that the IOC will start detailed discussions with the Tokyo 2020 and Japanese government to "complete its assessment of the rapid development of the worldwide health situation and its impact on the Olympic Games, including the scenario of postponement."
"The IOC is confident that it will have finalized these discussions within the next four weeks," Bach said emphasizing that "cancellation is not on the agenda."
