Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the International Olympic Committee have decided to postpone the games which were initially set to take place in Tokyo from July 24 to August 9.
- Mar 25, 2020
AceShowbiz - Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have agreed to postpone the 2020 Olympic Games for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The games were due to to be held in Tokyo from 24 July until 9 August, but in recent days several sporting officials involved in the event, including IOC member Dick Pound, suggested postponement was inevitable as the pandemic worsens across the globe.
According to the BBC, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, March 24, Abe announced that he and IOC President Thomas Bach had agreed to delay the event, a move officially confirmed by the IOC.
"I proposed to postpone for about a year and President Thomas Bach responded with 100 per cent agreement," the Japanese leader said.
In a statement posted on their website, IOC members confirmed the games would be delayed until summer 2021, "to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community."
They added that they hoped the games would become a "beacon of hope" and "the light at the end of the tunnel" to people across the globe as they battle the coronavirus pandemic.
This is the first time an Olympic Games have been postponed, although the event was cancelled during the two World Wars.
