IOA ready to 'wait and watch for a month before any decision' as Canada pulls out of 2020 Tokyo Olympics

The Indian Olympic Association on Monday said it is ready to wait for at least a month before taking any final call on India’s participation at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after Canada became the first nation to pull out of the quadrennial event if it is held this year. Not only Canada, but even Australia have asked its athletes to prepare for the Games in 2021 as it thinks the showpiece event will eventually get postponed as the situation surrounding the novel COVID-19 continues to deteriorate with each passing day.

IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said the committee is closely monitoring the development surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed a staggering 14,000 while infecting over 3,00,000.

Mehta said IOC will wait and watch for the next four to five weeks before taking any call after consultation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the sports ministry while adding the situation in India is not that bad as compared to other nations.

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"We will wait and watch"

"We will wait and watch for 4 to 5 weeks and then come to any decision after consultation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the sports ministry," Mehta told PTI.

"The situation is not that bad in our country as compared to other nations," he added.

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Furthermore, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday told the parliament that the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics ‘may become inevitable’ if the situation surrounding the novel COVID-19 continues to deteriorate.

Abe said while the nation is still completely committed to a ‘complete’ Games, postponement may be inevitable considering the safety and welfare of athletes first. Abe in the parliament said: "if that becomes difficult, in light of considering athletes first, it may become inevitable that we make a decision to postpone."

The total number of COVID-19 cases in India has crossed 350, including seven deaths so far.