In what will surely get the sports world worried, Tokyo Games chief executive has said he can't guarantee the postponed Olympics will be staged next year.
Even though the Games have been delayed by a year, Tokyo Olympics CEO Toshiro Muto has hinted that the coronavirus crises is so severe that it's hard to predict what future has in store and how the disease will be contained.?
The news agency Associated Press quoted him saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get it under control by next July or not," Muto said, speaking through an interpreter at a news conference conducted remotely. ¡±We're certainly are not in a position to give you a clear answer."
?Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued an emergency declaration this week to battle the virus, putting the country under restrictions after it seemed it had avoided the spread.??
Abe has been criticised?for being slow to act against the coronavirus. Opposition political leaders have suggested he downplayed the severity of the virus and have said it may have been tied to wanting to hold the Olympics this year.?
While the country maintained for long parts that the Olympics will go ahead, the spread of coronavirus across the world and in Japan, lead to the organisers postponing the Games last month, with a new opening set for 23 July, 2021.?
¡°We have made the decision to postpone the games by one year," Muto added. ¡°So this means that all we can do is work hard to prepare for the games. We sincerely hope that come next year mankind will manage to overcome the coronavirus crisis.¡±??
Muto was asked if there are alternative plans to 2021.
¡°Rather than think about alternatives plans, we should put in all of our efforts,¡± he said. ¡°Mankind should bring together all of its technology and wisdom to work hard so they can develop treatments, medicines and vaccines.¡±
Japan has reported about 5,000 cases and 100 deaths. The country has the world¡¯s oldest population, and COVID-19 can be especially serious for the elderly.