No chance of further postponing Tokyo Olympics: Games chief

Tokyo: There are no plans in place for a second postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, Games organisers have said.

The 2020 Olympics was postponed to July 23-August 8, 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic but several health experts have questioned if it will be possible to hold the Games even next year.

Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee president Yoshiro Mori said in a teleconference that there is “absolutely no” chance of postponing the Games beyond the new time period.

Masa Takaya, the spokesman for the Tokyo Olympics, said that there is “no B plan” in place for a further postponement and the work is progressing on the assumption that the Games will start on July 23, 2021.

“We are working toward the new goal,” Takaya said, speaking in English on a teleconference call with journalists. “We don’t have a B Plan.”

Earlier, a leading health expert had said that it is unfeasible to hold the Olympics from July 23 unless a vaccine is found for the coronavirus pandemic.

“If we do get a vaccine within the next year then actually I think that (Olympics) is realistic. The vaccine will be the game-changer — an effective, affordable, available vaccine,” said Professor Devi Sridhar.

“If we don’t get a scientific breakthrough, then I think that looks very unrealistic.”