CALCUTTA (India): Indian sportspersons maintained a stoic silence over the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) approach to the coronavirus pandemic.
On Monday, British track cyclist Callum Skinner attacked IOC president Thomas Bach on Monday labelling him as “arrogant” and “stubborn”.
However, fearing backlashes from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in Delhi, some of the well-known athletes declined to speak on the issue.
“We don’t want to talk anything against IOC. The IOA might show cause us if we speak on the coronavirus outbreak and its impact on the Olympics,” one top athlete told KHEL UPDATES.
The 2020 Olympics are due to open in Tokyo on July 24 but with coronavirus sweeping the world, there is growing concern that the Games will be either postponed or even cancelled.
The Tokyo Olympics appears to be creeping towards a postponement, an unprecedented and costly exercise that involves ripping up years of planning.
“It’s unclear to all of us on whether the Olympics will be postponed or cancelled. It all depends on the participant countries. For the Games to happen, all countries consent is needed,” said a top archer.
Following the postponement of Euro 2020 and a multitude of other sports events worldwide, there is increasing scrutiny on the IOC which has been accused of shying away from making a decision.
“A number of athletes and National Olympic Committees have also stated that they are unable to continue training in this environment, and this unprecedented situation has been a cause of great concern to us,” the IOC said in a statement.
Canada, Australia say no Tokyo Games
Canada and Australia has decided not send their teams to the Tokyo, the Olympic committees for both countries said in separate statements.
Both countries’ Olympic committees also are calling for the Games to be postponed until 2021.
But the IOA hasn’t commented yet on their approach even as France, USA, Norway and the international athletics president Sebastian Coe have called for the postponement of the quadrennial competition.
In theory, the IOC has the power to cancel the Games or to relocate them away from Tokyo.
The IOC has stated, due to the extreme complexity of the Games, a final decision has not been reached at this time, and discussions will be finalised within the next four weeks but cancellation is not on the agenda.
