Originally supposed to commence on July 24, 2020 the Olympics had to be postponed to July 23 to August 8, 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Yoshiro Mori, the President of Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020), attends the IOC - Tokyo 2020 joint press conference for the 10th Project Review meeting between the IOC and the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (Tokyo 2020) in Tokyo, Japan, on July 23, 2019. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi/IANS)
Tokyo Olympics organising committee’s president Yoshiro Mori believes if the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t get over by next year then the postponed mega event would be cancelled rather than getting deferred to the succeeding year.
Originally supposed to be held from July 24 to August 9, 2020 the Olympics had to be postponed to July 23 to August 8, 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic and rising pressure on the IOC from a number of quarters.
In the latest development, Mori has asserted no further postponement is possible. When asked if the Olympics could be delayed until 2022 if the deadly virus persists to pose a threat even till next year, “No” was Mori’s reply.
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The chief believes that in such a case, the quadrennial event would be cancelled.
“In that case, it’s cancelled,” Mori said as quoted by AFP via an interview of the president with Japan’s Nikkan Sports daily.
If the virus is successfully contained, “we’ll hold the Olympics in peace next summer”, he added. “Mankind is betting on it.”
However, according to a leading global health expert, Professor Devi Sridhar, holding the Tokyo Olympics any time before a vaccine is found will be “very unrealistic.” He has added that the development of the vaccine will be key to when the quadrennial event can be held.
Sridhar, however, said that the vaccine could be found earlier than what was expected.
There is still no sure shot treatment of the virus and social-distancing, self-isolation and maintenance of hand hygiene remain the only potent weapons to protect oneself from getting infected.
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