Tokyo Olympics 2020: Another Postponement Impossible, ‘No Plan B’ in Place Says Organising Committee Spokesperson Masa Takaya
The rescheduled dates were announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) earlier this year with the international body taking a serious turn and declaring that it will be impossible for the organisers to host the tournament as per schedule due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic. “We don’t have a B Plan,” Masa Takaya, the spokesman for the Tokyo Olympics.
As the coronavirus pandemic situation worsens globally, doubts have raised on whether the postponed Tokyo Olympics can be held as per the new schedule. And according to the organisers of the Olympic event, they have no "Plan B” in place if the event gets postponed against due to the pandemic. Tokyo Olympics 2020 was postponed by a year to July 23, 2021 due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The multi-sport event was originally scheduled to be held on July 24, 2020, but was later rescheduled to July 23, 2021, with the Paralympics set to follow on August 24. IOC Sets New Qualification Deadline for Summer Games After Tokyo Olympics 2020 Postponement.
The rescheduled dates were announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) earlier this year with the international body taking a serious turn and declaring that it will be impossible for the organisers to host the tournament as per schedule due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic. “We don’t have a B Plan,” Masa Takaya, the spokesman for the Tokyo Olympics was quoted as saying by news agency AP. “We are working toward the new goal,” Takaya added. AFI President Urges Athletes to Take Advantage of Olympic Postponement.
“All I can tell you today is that the new games’ dates for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games have been just set up,” Takaya said. “In that respect, Tokyo 2020 and all concerned parties now are doing their very best effort to deliver the games next year.”
Meanwhile, IOC President Thomas Bach was also asked about the possibility of the Games being postponed in an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt. And although he did not respond directly to the question, Bach said that the Olympics organisers and Japan PM Shinzo Abe had indicated that could not handle another postponement. “It is not very easy to estimate the exact amount of the games’ additional costs, which have been impacted by the postponement,” Takaya had said talking about the postponement.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 14, 2020 10:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).