Following the withdraws from several countries, it seems that the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will probably be suspended for next year.
The opening ceremony of the games is scheduled for July 24 and the final day of the biggest sporting event is August 9, but due to the coronavirus pandemic mass gatherings were forbidden all over the world.
Australia and Canada were the first two sporting powers that withdrew from the event, as that put the pressure on the organizers to postpone the event for the first time in its 124-year modern history.
Dick Pound, who is a member of the International Olympic Committee told Reuters that a one-year postponement looked like the best solution. This would mean the Games, scheduled for July 24-Aug. 9, are likely to be held in the summer of 2021.
“That’s my conclusion, there will be a postponement,” Pound said in a telephone interview after Sunday’s IOC statement saying it was stepping up its “scenario planning” for the Tokyo 2020 Games.
“From reading IOC-speak in the communique, if you are going to cancel you simply cancel because there are no future plans,” added Pound. “But if you are going to carry on with the original objective (to stage the Games) there is no reason to issue a statement because you have already done that over the past several weeks.”
Source: www.thehindu.com
