NEW DELHI: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) expressed happiness over the postponement of 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japan government announced their decision in a joint statement on Tuesday.
“This decision today, relieves our athletes of worries of having to train now during epidemic,” said IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta.
IOA will hold meetings with athletes, National Sports Federations (NSFs) and other stakeholders “after the lockdown is over”, it tweeted.
The Games have been postponed to no later than the summer of 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe.
The quadrennial competition was scheduled for July 24-August 9, but after telephone discussions between IOC president Thomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a historic joint decision was taken for the first postponement of an Olympics in peacetime.
In a joint statement, the duo said that based on current World Health Organization information, the Tokyo Games “must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community”.
World Athletics Championships to be moved to 2022
Meanwhile, the World Athletics is working with IOC on potentially moving their World Championships from August 2021 to accommodate the rescheduled 2021 Tokyo Olympics and he Oregon event could be in 2022.
For the first time in the history of the modern Olympics, the summer games has been postponed. The Olympics have been cancelled three times before — during WWI & WWII.
Meanwhile, the World Athletics is working with IOC on potentially moving their World Championships from August 2021 to accommodate the rescheduled 2021 Tokyo Olympics and he Oregon event could be in 2022.
The Olympics, which has experienced boycotts, terrorist attacks and protests, but has been held every four years since 1948, would be the highest-profile event affected by the virus that has killed thousands and closed sports competitions worldwide.
