On Wednesday, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach put forward how and why he is too assured about the Tokyo Olympics happening as planned this summer, despite pandemic COVID-19.
A virtual news conference was held in IOC headquarters, Switzerland. Bach stated that there is no plan to relocate the Olympics to another city or push them to 2032. And he recapitulates that coordinators have firm decisions not to fuel any further speculation about the Games. Also added that it is hurting the athletes in their preparations.
Bach said that they are working hard on how the Games would take place rather than supposing whether it would take place or not.
Organizers are going to release “playbooks” of COVID-19 countermeasures in the next week. Depending on the pandemic state at the opening ceremony’s time on July 23, precautions and safety steps will be taken.
But there is a high probability that this year it may be held behind closed doors, in the absence of commoners. Much of the focus in the coming months likely will be on vaccines, and whether or how Olympics athletes are vaccinated prior to the Games.
The IOC also stated on Tuesday that it would ask national Olympic committees to vaccinate their respective athletes.
“We have always made it clear that we are not in favor of athletes jumping the queue,” never-the-less Bach said that the first lines to get vaccinated must be the high-risk group, the health care workers and the people who keep our society alive as they are the first priority.
While talking about the Olympics, Batch mentioned that he has faith in developments like vaccines and rapid-testing, which will help them more to hold the Games.
On the other side, news reports show us that covid cases in Japan are increasing day by day. Thus statements given by him are in contradictory view.
Many of the government officials in Japan have called for the Olympics to be called off this year, as polls show less support for the event amid the public. According to a report in The Times of London, she was reported last week that the Japanese government has already decided to cancel the Games, which was disapproved immediately by all the IOC, the Japanese government and Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.
Living in this lockdown period everybody is concerned about the Olympia game. Bach also added on his verdict on Wednesday that it is challenging to envisage (the) Olympic Games in these situations. Still, it is then the responsibility and competence of the government and the IOC committee to look beyond this situation. And there again, reasoning they are very much optimistic about the happening of the game. Bach mentioned in one of his statements that it’s not about ‘whether’ the Games are taking place, it’s about ‘how’ the game will be held “.