An official of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reiterated recently that Covid or not, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, rescheduled to next year, will most certainly push through.
This assurance was given by IOC Vice President John Coates regarding the Olympics that was postponed this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. He said the Olympics, which would be known as the “Games that conquered Covid,” will start as scheduled on its revised date of July 23, 2021.
“It will take place with or without COVID. The Games will start on July 23 next year,” according to Coates, who also heads the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the Tokyo Games.
Even Japanese officials assured the Games will not be rescheduled for a second time anymore.
Earlier this year, the IOC and local organizers of the Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020 announced that it will postpone the quadrennial sporting spectacle primarily because of the pandemic that already affected many countries around the world.
The world’s biggest sporting event, which should have started July 24 of this year at Tokyo’s National Stadium, has never been postponed in its entire history. It was canceled, though, for three times already at the height of the world wars in 1916, 1940 and 1944.
However, many still doubt if the Games will likely to proceed, what with the absence of a vaccine, which may still take a while before one is developed, and Japan’s borders are still closed to foreigners.
Coates noted that it will be a “monumental task’ to put the event back after a year, what with all the preparations that have already been set in place. Even IOC President Thomas Bach himself noted that “this is the best-prepared Games we’ve ever seen, the venues almost all finished, they are now finished, the village is amazing, all the transport arrangements, everything is fine.”
“Now it’s been postponed by one year, that’s presented a monumental task in terms of re-securing all the venues… something like 43 hotels we had to get out of those contracts and re-negotiate for a year later. Sponsorships had to be extended a year, broadcast rights.”
A task force made up of Japanese and IOC officials was formed to study the various scenarios come 2021, from issues such as border controls and how it will affect movements of athletes from all 206 teams, Games officials, and even fans who will flock to the various venues.
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