TUE, MARCH 24 2020-theG&BJournal- The Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is the latest to call for the Tokyo Olympics Games to be shifted to 2021 following a flurry of withdrawals from the games by countries associated with International Olympics Committee (IOC) Monday.
Daily Mail report say IOCs member Dick Pound revealed a decision has been made to postpone Tokyo 2020-with the game now set to be held summer next year.
Shinzo Abe told the IOC that Japan would accept a delay to the games of 12 months, in a call with the IOC president Thomas Bach and organising committee chief Yoshiru Mori, due to the coronavirus.
Canadian, New Zealand, Australian, Britain and many other countries have either signalled their intention to withdraw or have withdrawn completely from the games due to deadly disease that has claimed 17, 000 lives and infected nearly 400,000 worldwide.
The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) Sunday out rightly called on the IOC, and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to postpone the Games for one year.
’ This is not solely about athlete health – it is about public health. With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games,’’ COC said.
The Olympic torch relay in Greece was cancelled on Friday March 13, following sudden spike of the coronavirus worldwide.
As of today, all major sporting calendar has been reshaped by the disease, with some still hoping to run their seasons shortened beginning around summer 2020.
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