Several more countries withdraw from Paralympics, new COVID-19 case among athletes

Tokyo 2020 Paralympic organisers on Saturday (August 21) announced several national Paralympic Committees had withdrawn from the Games, while one more positive COVID-19 case was detected amongst Paralympic athletes already residing in Japan.

According to International Paralympics Committee (IPC) spokesman Craig Spence, the four national Paralympic Committees that withdrew include those of Samoa, Kiribati, Vanuatu, and Tonga, all citing difficulties and financial burdens caused by pandemic travel and quarantine measures.

Afghanistan's Paralympic team has also been forced to withdraw due to the current unstable situation in Kabul, as organisers said there would be "no safe way" to bring the athletes to Tokyo.

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Tokyo 2020 authorities said on Saturday that a total of 15 new Paralympic Games-related COVID-19 cases had been detected, one of them being an athlete. It comes a day after the first positive case among Paralympic athletes was reported.

With less than a week to go until the Paralympics, organisers are warning that the event will be held in challenging circumstances. Japan has extended COVID-19 emergency measures in the capital and other regions that will run through the Games and, like the Olympics, it will take place from August 24 to September 5 without spectators generally.