Back to the wall
Leadership is often defined by how one navigates adversity, and for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the challenges have never been more pronounced.
In a big announcement, Canada has decided that they will not be sending their athletes to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
An official statement from the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) declared on Sunday that they will not be sending their contingent to Tokyo unless the Olympics are postponed by a year. Notably, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are scheduled to be held between 24 July and 9 August.
Advertisement
“The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC), backed by their Athletes’ Commissions, National Sports Organizations and the Government of Canada, have made the difficult decision to not send Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020,” the statement read.
Advertisement
“The COC and CPC urgently call on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to postpone the games for one year. We offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring.”
“We recognise the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community.
“This is not solely about athlete health – it is about public health. With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games,” added the statement.
The dreaded COVID-19 virus has already claimed over 14,500 lives globally and infected over 3 lakh people.
Advertisement
