IOC discredit Olympics cancellation rumours

The International Olympics Committee have moved to discredit a rumour moving around in the media that the Japanese government has decided to cancel the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The IOC said this in a statement released via its official media channels this morning:

“Some news reports circulating today are claiming that the Government of Japan has privately concluded that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be cancelled because of the coronavirus. This is categorically untrue.

“At an IOC Executive Board meeting in July last year, it was agreed that the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 would be held on July 23 this year, and the programme and venues for the Games were rescheduled accordingly. All parties involved are working together to prepare for a successful Games this summer.

“We will be implementing all possible countermeasures against COVID-19 and will continue to work closely with the IOC, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in our preparations for holding a safe and secure Games this summer.”

The Tokyo games was postponed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic that ravaged the world in 2020, though the pandemic less affected Japan but a surge in cases recently has made the country close its borders as other countries in the region continue to battle the pandemic.