Japan’s Olympic minister, Seiko Hashimoto says the Tokyo 2020 Games could be postponed to the end of this year because of worry over the coronavirus outbreak that becoming more serious.
In response to a question in Japan’s parliament, the Olympic minister said Tokyo’s contract with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be held within 2020.
She stated that it could be interpreted as allowing a postpone. The Olympics is supposed to be held from 24 July to 9 August 2020.
“We are doing anything that we can to make sure that it will go ahead as what we planned,” said Hashimoto.
As what is stated by BBC, the right to cancel the Olympic remains with the IOC under the hosting agreement. IOC president Thomas Bach says that his organizations including him were very confident with the Olympic proceeded in Tokyo.
Bach also said that he would like to urge all the competitors to proceed with their arrangements with extraordinary certainty and full of energy.
Various prominent games have just been dropped or deferred because of the coronavirus or COVID-19, including the World Athletics Indoor Athletics Championships and the Chinese Grand Prix, which was supposed to be held for 19 April.
Source: BBC