IOC 'committed' to Tokyo Games despite virus: Olympics chief

International Olympic Committee is "fully committed" to holding 2020 Games in Tokyo as planned despite widening new coronavirus outbreak, body's president has pledged. IOC "is fully committed to a successful Olympic Games in Tokyo starting July 24", Thomas Bach told Japanese media in a conference call late Thursday, according to Kyodo News.

comments came as viral outbreak across Japan and dozens of or countries have fuelled concerns about Summer Games, with a swa of or sports events postponed or canceled. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has stepped up national measures to contain virus, calling on organizers of large events to consider canceling or delaying m. Everything from football matches and music concerts to rituals that mark opening of March sumo tournament has been affected.

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On Thursday, Abe requested a nearly month-long closure of schools in a drive to curb spread of COVID-19, linked to four deaths so far among nearly 200 kwn infections among general Japanese public. Some 700 infections were also detected among about 3,700 passengers and crew on a cruise ship that was quarantined off Japan after one of its former passengers tested positive. Bach avoided directly addressing comments by senior IOC member Dick Pound, who hinted Games could be canceled if health authorities block travel. Pound also said, however, re has been formal discussion among IOC members about canceling Games.

In an interview with AFP, Pound said Tokyo Games will go ahead as scheduled "absent some very serious and specific admonitions or regulations stemming from WHO or appropriate regulatory authorities". "Unless re is a world situation that is so serious that games cant be held or that regulatory authorities prohibit travel or that sort of thing, we're carrying on," he said. "But it would be irresponsible to carry on without having at least in back of your mind that something might happen." 

Bach said priority w "is to ensure qualification procedure and protecting safety of athletes at same time", according to Kyodo. "This is what we're doing in cooperation with Japanese authorities, World Health Organization, Chinese Olympic Committee, and many CS," Bach said, referring to national Olympic committees. Disruption caused by virus has affected Olympic qualifying in several sports, including football, boxing, badminton, handball and wrestling, and sailing. Tokyo's Olympic organizers have repeatedly said y are focused on holding a safe Olympics and Paralympics with IOC's full backing. 

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(Im Courtesy: @iocmedia)