Published 18:57 IST, March 25th 2020
Novak Djokovic supports Olympics postponement; shares a throwback picture
Serbian tennis star and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Wednesday said that postponing Tokyo Olympics due to Coronavirus pandemic is the right decision.
Serbian tennis star and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Wednesday said that postponing Tokyo Olympics due to Coronavirus pandemic is the right decision. Tokyo Olympics 2020 has been postponed from July 24, 2020 to the summer of next year amid the increasing concerns over Coronavirus. However, the official statement did not mention the updated schedule of the games.
The 2020 Australian Open winner shared a throwback picture from Japan on Twitter and expressed distress over the postponement, however, asserted it to be the right decision.
Leander Paes on the postponement of Tokyo 2020 Games
India's tennis ace Leander Paes was all praise for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japan's Olympic Committee for their call to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Games to 2021 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Joining Republic TV live on Wednesday, the tennis ace complimented the governing bodies for their brave decision to postpone the games a potential loss in financial terms for the various stakeholders of the event. Leander Paes said that the right decision was made by the body, keeping in mind the health of the athletes & the spectators.
Shinzo Abe discusses Tokyo Olympics with US President Trump
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe explained the delay of Tokyo Olympics 2020 to the United States President Donald Trump on March 24. The top government spokesperson Yoshihide Suga, also said that Abe proposed to maintain close cooperation between the leaders. Reportedly, Trump also responded to the news of the Olympics being delayed to next year as ‘very hard, but wonderful decision’.
The official statement read, "In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.
Updated 18:57 IST, March 25th 2020