This archive report was first published on 22 May 2020.
Published on May 22, 2020, by AFP
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior Olympics official has warned that holding the postponed Tokyo Games next year faces 'real problems'. John Coates, the International Olympic Committee's pointman for Tokyo 2020, has indicated that officials will start deciding in October if and how the pandemic-hit Games can go ahead in July 2021.
According to Coates, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been clear that the Tokyo Olympics cannot be delayed a second time. 'We can't postpone it again and we have to assume that there won't be a vaccine or, if there is a vaccine, it won't be sufficient to share around the world,' he said.
Without the safety net of a widely available vaccine, there could be enormous challenges in screening tens of thousands of people from all corners of the world, Coates warned. 'We've got real problems because we've got athletes having to come from 206 different nations,' he said.
Coates also highlighted the logistical challenges of hosting the Games, citing the need to accommodate 11,000 athletes, 5,000 technical officials and coaches, 20,000 media, and 60,000 volunteers.
