TOKYO: The postponed Tokyo Olympics will commence on 23rd July, 2021.
This was revealed here by Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori: “The Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021. The Paralympics will be held from August 24 to September 5.”
It may be recalled that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics that were due to open on 24th of July had been postponed due to Coronavirus Pandemic.
Relevant pieces published earlier:
Tokyo Olympics to take place in the Spring of 2021
27th of March, 2020
Thomas Bach, President of International Olympics Committee (IOC) has stated that there were possibilities of holding the postponed Games in spring of 2021.
Bach said that all options were on the table including holding the Games before the Japanese summer. According to sources IOC is working with sports organisations to arrange a July-August window for the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
IOC’s Coordination Commission Chief for Tokyo, John Coates noted that Games would have to be held between the tennis Grand Slams of Wimbledon, scheduled to end in mid-July, and the US Open, which commences in late August: “We want to more or less finalize the dates in four weeks’ time,” he told.
Coronavirus: Tokyo Olympics 2020 postponed
25th of March, 2020
TOKYO: For the first time in the 124-year history of Summer Games, the Tokyo Olympics 2020 has been postponed to 2021 due to the Coronaviris Pandemic.
The Statement of the International Olympic Committee:
“TO SAFEGUARD THE HEALTH OF ALL INVOLVED AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONTAINMENT OF COVID-19, THE EXECUTIVE BOARD (EB) OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC) TODAY ANNOUNCED THAT THE IOC WILL STEP UP ITS SCENARIO-PLANNING FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES TOKYO 2020.
These scenarios relate to modifying existing operational plans for the Games to go ahead on 24 July 2020, and also for changes to the start date of the Games. This step will allow better visibility of the rapidly changing development of the health situation around the world and in Japan. It will serve as the basis for the best decision in the interest of the athletes and everyone else involved.
On the one hand, there are significant improvements in Japan where the people are warmly welcoming the Olympic flame. This could strengthen the IOC’s confidence in the Japanese hosts that the IOC could, with certain safety restrictions, organise Olympic Games in the country whilst respecting its principle of safeguarding the health of everyone involved.
On the other hand, there is a dramatic increase in cases and new outbreaks of COVID-19 in different countries on different continents. This led the EB to the conclusion that the IOC needs to take the next step in its scenario-planning.
A number of critical venues needed for the Games could potentially not be available anymore. The situations with millions of nights already booked in hotels is extremely difficult to handle, and the international sports calendar for at least 33 Olympic sports would have to be adapted. These are just a few of many, many more challenges.
Therefore, further to the study of different scenarios, it would need the full commitment and cooperation of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and the Japanese authorities, and of all the International Federations (IFs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs). It would also require commitment from, and collaboration with, the Rights-Holding Broadcasters (RHBs) and our TOP Partner sponsors, as part of their continued and valued support to the Olympic Movement, as well as cooperation from all the Games’ partners, suppliers and contractors. It is in this spirit of the Olympic stakeholders’ shared commitment to the Olympic Games, and in light of the worldwide deteriorating situation, that the IOC EB has today initiated the next step in the IOC’s scenario-planning.
The IOC will, in full coordination and partnership with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Japanese authorities and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, start detailed discussions 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 finalised these discussions within the next four weeks, and greatly appreciates the solidarity and partnership of the NOCs and IFs in supporting the athletes and adapting Games planning.
The IOC EB emphasised that a cancellation of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 would not solve any of the problems or help anybody. Therefore, cancellation is not on the agenda.
After the EB meeting, IOC President Thomas Bach today wrote to the global athlete community to provide them with an explanation of the IOC’s approach.
In the letter, Bach stated once more that safeguarding the health of everyone involved and contributing to contain the virus is the fundamental principle, and said: “Human lives take precedence over everything, including the staging of the Games. The IOC wants to be part of the solution. Therefore we have made it our leading principle to safeguard the health of everyone involved, and to contribute to containing the virus. I wish, and we all are working for this, that the hope so many athletes, NOCs and IFs from all five continents have expressed will be fulfilled: that at the end of this dark tunnel we are all going through together, not knowing how long it is, the Olympic flame will be a light at the end of this tunnel.”
Coronavirus: Tokyo Olympics Torch Handover Sans Aficionados
16th March, 2020
ATHENS: Greece’s International Olympic Committee IOC has announced here on Sunday (15th of March, 2020) that the handing-over ceremony of Tokyo Olympics Torch will take place here in an empty arena.
Hellenic Olympic Committee has informed that the handover ceremony for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games flame will take place at the Panathenaic Stadium behind closed doors on Thursday, 19th March, 2020.
It may be recalled that Greece had cancelled the remainder of the domestic Olympic torch relay through the country to avoid attracting crowds a day after the Tokyo Games flame was lit in Olympia.
Tokyo Olympics: IOC says show will go on despite Coronavirus Pandemic
14th of March, 2020
TOKYO: President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, while commenting on the fate of Tokyo Games has said that despite Coronavirus Pandemic the show will go on.
Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe too stated here that the Tokyo Olympic Games would go ahead as planned in July, 2020 despite Coronavirus Pandemic.
Maintaining that Olympic Committee (IOC) would have the final decision whether Tokyo 2020 goes ahead, Japanese PM held: “We will overcome the spread of the infection and host the Olympics without problem, as planned.”
Japan section of the Olympic Torch relay is due to start in Fukushima on 26th of March. The recent torch-lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia was held without spectators, before the rest of the relay in Greece was suspended to avoid attracting crowds.
It is pertinent to mention here that so far Coronavirus had claimed 28 lives in the Land of the Rising Sun. But we are talking of the country that had risen from the Ashes of IInd WW after suffering from two nukes.
Coronavirus: Japan says Olympics will not be postponed
TOKYO: Japan is confident that despite the Controversial pandemic the Olympics will take place as per schedule.
PM Shinzo Abe stated that the Tokyo Olympic Games would go ahead as planned in July, 2020 despite coronavirus concerns resulting in the postponement of sporting events.
“We will overcome spread of the infection and host the Olympics without problem, as planned,” he said. However, he prompted to add that International Olympic Committee (IOC) would have the final decision about the fate of Tokyo 2020
It may be noted that so far Coronavirus has claimed 28 lives in Japan.
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