WASHINGTON, April 17 — Japan is determined to hold the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, despite the worsening epidemiological situation in the country, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said.
“As was mentioned at the beginning, I expressed my determination to realise the Tokyo Olympics and the Paralympic Games as a symbol of global unity this summer. And President Biden, once again, expressed his support,” he told reporters in a joint news conference with US President Joe Biden on Friday.
“Japan will continue careful and full preparation in order to realise the Tokyo games this summer,” Russian news agency (TASS) quoting the Japanese premier added.
The Tokyo Olympic Games were initially scheduled to be held between July 24 and August 9, 2020. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Games were postponed for a year and are now scheduled for the period from July 23 to August 8, 2021 while keeping the Tokyo 2020 name.
The head of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, Seiko Hashimoto, said on Friday that cancelling the Games was out of question.
On March 20, organisers made the final decision to exclude foreign spectators from the Olympics. The issue of whether Japanese citizens should be allowed to attend will be considered later.
