KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) today expressed its full commitment to staging the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games successfully, as scheduled from July 24 to Aug 9 in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The EB, in a statement, said it had received a report on all the measures taken so far to address the coronavirus situation, which was followed by a comprehensive discussion.
It also encouraged all athletes to continue to prepare for the biggest multi-sports event in the world.
“A joint task force had already been created in mid-February, involving the IOC, Tokyo 2020, the host city of Tokyo, the government of Japan and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The EB appreciates and supports the measures being taken, which constitute an important part of Tokyo’s plans to host safe and secure Games.
“We will continue to follow the advice of WHO, as the leading United Nations agency on this topic,” the EB said while thanking WHO for its continued valuable advice and cooperation.
The IOC also praised the great unity and solidarity of the athletes, National Olympic Committees, International Federations and governments for their close collaboration and flexibility with regard to the preparations for the Games, particularly the qualification events.
“The IOC EB encourages all athletes to continue to prepare for the Olympic Games. The IOC will keep supporting the athletes by providing the latest information and developments, which are accessible for athletes worldwide on the Athlete365 website,” it added.
The deadly virus, which has claimed over 3,000 lives, has forced the cancellation and postponement of a large number of sporting events, including Olympics qualifiers, since January this year.
— BERNAMA
