Tokyo Olympics will be cancelled if coronavirus pandemic is not over, says Games chief

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was earlier postponed to 2021, will be cancelled if the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t brought under control by the time the Games are scheduled, the organising committee’s president Yoshiro Mori said on Tuesday.

The COVID-19 pandemic has already forced a year-long delay of the Tokyo Olympics, which are now scheduled to start on July 23, 2021, giving major headaches to the organising committee and Japan.

Mori was asked if Olympics could be further delayed in case the situation surrounding COVID-19 pandemic continues to remain threat in the year 2021, to which the organising committee’s president replied: “No.”

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"In that case, it's cancelled," Mori said.

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However, if the dreaded virus is brought under control by 2021 then Mori said: "we'll hold the Olympics in peace next summer. Mankind is betting on it."

Coming under immense pressure and criticism, Japanese organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to postpone the Games by a year.

Organisers and Japanese officials were optimistic that the delayed Tokyo Olympics will be celebrated as world’s triumph over the coronavirus, however, in the recent weeks, questions have arisen whether a year’s delay is sufficient.

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On Tuesday, head of Japan Medical Association rang the alarm bells as he said it would be "exceedingly difficult" to conduct the Games in 2021 if a vaccine isn’t found by then.

"I would not say that they should not be held, but it would be exceedingly difficult," Yoshitake Yokokura told reporters at a briefing.
Earlier, aJapanese medical experthad said he was “very pessimistic” that the postponed Olympics can be held in 2021.