Tokyo Olympics reschedules to 2021

Photo courtesy: olympics.org The Tokyo Games 2020 will be rescheduled to next year, following the unprecedented events of the new pandemic that struck the whole world. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Government of Japan finally settled that on July 23, 2021, would be the new date for the postponed event. The leaderships of the key parties, along with IOC President Thomas Bach, Tokyo 2020 President Mori Yoshirō, Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko and Olympic and Paralympic Minister Hashimoto Seiko concurred on the new schedule. The decision was made under three main considerations and followed with the principles established by the IOC Executive Board (EB) on March 17, 2020. The three considerations are as follows: 1. To protect the health of the athletes and everyone involved, and to support the containment of the COVID-19 virus. 2. To safeguard the interests of the athletes and of Olympic sport. 3. The global international sports calendar.

The new timetable would allow health authorities and games organizers the maximum time needed in dealing with COVID-19. IOC President Thomas Bach expressed that IOC will be committed to making the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 successful. "With this announcement, I am confident that, working together with the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Japanese Government, and all our stakeholders, we can master this unprecedented challenge. Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel. These Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 can be a light at the end of this tunnel.” IOC President Thomas Bach said. IPC President Andrew Thomas also commented on the news. “It is fantastic news that we could find new dates so quickly for the Tokyo 2020 Games... When the Paralympic Games do take place in Tokyo next year, they will be an extra-special display of humanity uniting as one, a global celebration of human resilience and a sensational showcase of sport." IPC President Andrew Parsons stated.