The
Olympic Games was postponed by one year and will be held from July 23 to
August 8, 2021.
|
Agencies
Tokyo: In an interview with the BBC
earlier, IOC President Thomas Bach said that the Games might be cancelled if
the coronavirus cannot be controlled next year.
"You cannot every year change the entire sports
schedule worldwide of all the major federations. You cannot have the athletes
being in uncertainty," Bach said.
That actually echoed the view of Tokyo 2020 President
Yoshiro Mori, who told Japan Nikkan Sports Daily last month when he was asked
the same question. "In that case, it's cancelled," Mori said.
But Muto told reporters in an online news conference that
there is no "common understanding" between the IOC and Tokyo 2020
about cancelling the Games beyond 2021, reports Xinhua news agency.
"Mr. Mori was trying to say is that we should have the
mentality to prepare the Games so that it can take place next year," Muto
said.
"I don't think they have a common understanding about
cancelling the Games."
Asked if the Games could be held behind closed doors, Muto
said, "We have more than one year until the Games, it is too early to have
such discussion."
"We need to carry out measures to fight COVID-19,"
he said. "However, we don't believe it is the time to answer specific
questions related to countermeasures."
In the interview, Bach said staging the Games without fans
is just "speculation".
"This is not what we want," Bach said.
"Because the Olympic spirit is about also uniting the fans and this is
what makes the Games so unique that they're in an Olympic Stadium, all the fans
from all over the world are together.
"But when it then would come to the decision... I would
ask you to give me some more time for consultation with the athletes, with the
World Health Organisation, with the Japanese partners."
The Olympic Games was postponed by one year and will be held
from July 23 to August 8, 2021.
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