Tokyo Olympics could be pushed to Oct-Nov next year: sources

KARACHI: The Covid-19 pandemic has rocked the world of sports. And its number one sporting victims is the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – the biggest event of the year.

This year’s Tokyo Games penciled in from July 23 to August 8 had to be postponed for a year because of the global coronavirus outbreak. However, many experts fear that the Games might not take place next summer either because of warnings that the pandemic might persist leaving it impossible to stage such a major international event due to huge logistical challenges.

While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been adamant that the Games will be staged next summer, well-placed sources have informed ‘The News’ on Friday that the global body and the Japanese organisers of the quadrennial spectacle are seriously working on contingency plans and are trying to find another suitable window in case they are unable to stage the during the summer of 2021.

According to the sources, the organisers of the Games fear that there are chances that the event might not take place during the new dates (July 23 to August 8 next year). That’s because there have been warnings from experts fearing multiple waves of outbreaks in the coming months.

“In case the environment is not conducive by next summer then the organisers will be left with two options. They can just scrap the Games or find another window in 2021,” a source said.

The IOC has already announced that the Tokyo Games will be scrapped if they are not held next year.

“Scrapping the Olympics will be a huge setback for Japan and the IOC. Japan has invested billions of dollars in the preparations of the Games. The IOC will stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars. That’s why all stakeholders will try to hold the Games next summer and if not then move it to a later part of next year,” the source said.

However, considering that winter time in Tokyo can be too cold for the summer Games, it is understood that the only suitable window to hold the Olympics next year could be sometime during October and November.

“During October-November, the weather is excellent in Tokyo. That time could be perfect to stage the Tokyo Olympics,” the source said.

Meanwhile, IOC has reaffirmed its plan to hold the rescheduled Tokyo Games next summer, dismissing talk of a possible cancellation as “pure speculation.”

“The IOC together with its partners and friends in Japan is fully committed to celebrate the Games of the XXXII Olympiad from 23 July until 8 August 2021 in Tokyo,” an IOC spokesperson said on Thursday.

“The joint task force is 100 percent focused on this goal, everything else is pure speculation.”

The IOC said that due to its excellent partnership with the host nation, it is ready “to discuss any delivery option” in future with the Japanese government, the Tokyo metropolitan government or the games organizing committee. —with inputs from agencies