Tokyo Olympics will go ahead next year, John Coates insists

The vice president of the International Olympics Committee (IOC), John Coates has insisted that the postponed Tokyo Olympics which was delayed due to the pandemic will go ahead next year. Coates said that organizers were already doing everything necessary to ensure the games hold.

 

“Our decision at the moment is to go ahead. What we wait for is to decide what counter measures we need to go ahead with, to proceed depending on what stage COVID is at. The extent of the ceremonies, the extent of the crowd participation, any necessary quarantine when they arrive in Japan. All of those things. And by the time we get to the end of the year we will make an assessment  on what counter measures we’ll need to apply,” Coates said in an event marking the 20th anniversary of the 2000 Sydney Olympics’ opening ceremony.

 

The IOC with the Japanese government took the decision in March to postpone the event which was originally scheduled to begin by July. The officials have now said that they intend to go on with the games even if the pandemic has not eased substantially.