IOC determined to hold 2021 Olympic Games in ‘safe environment,’ says President Bach

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is still determined to organize the Summer Olympic Games in Japan next year, IOC President Thomas Bach announced on Wednesday, according to TASS.

The IOC and the IPC (the International Paralympic Committee) announced on March 24 a decision to postpone for one year the tournaments in Japan due to the continuous COVID-19 spread.

Yoshiro Mori, the head of the Tokyo-2020 Olympics Local Organizing Committee, announced on March 30 that the Summer Olympic Games in Japan next year will start on July 23 and the Summer Paralympic Games will begin on August 24.

"We will continue to follow the principle that has driven all our decisions so far, which is to organize the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in a safe environment for all people involved next summer," Bach said following a teleconference session of the IOC Executive Board on Wednesday.

The IOC chief also said that the organizers of the Games in Tokyo would have to prepare for "different scenarios" in order to tackle a possible threat posed by the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic.

"In the next coming weeks, you will see important and intensive discussions taking place with regard to the different scenarios regarding the COVID-19 countermeasures," Bach said addressing the organizers.

Addressing an on-line IOC session in July, Yoshiro Mori stated that all venues and the schedule of competitions would remain unchanged for the 2021 Summer Olympic Games.

The official opening ceremony of the Olympics in Tokyo is now scheduled for July 23, 2021, while the closing ceremony is slated for August 8, 2021. The Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo offer 339 sets of medals, which will be contested in 33 sports (50 disciplines).

News.Az

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