Tokyo Olympics 2021 final fate to be decided on THIS date
The fate of Tokyo Olympics 2021 could be decided on Wednesday as the coronavirus pandemic might force a major decision in the way the Games are held.
There are only six months to go for the Tokyo Olympics to be held in 2021. The Summer Games, which were postponed from 2020 to 2021, has come under the scanner after a report in the UK newspaper The Times stated that certain Government individuals have privately admitted that 'the games are cancelled'. However, Japanese Government officials were quick to debunk the report and state that the games were not canceled. However, with Japan witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases in and around the Tokyo area, there is growing concern on whether the games will be held at all. On Wednesday, the Executive Board of the Tokyo Olympics 2021 will meet by video-conferencing.
Prior to the meeting, IOC president Thomas Bach held a meeting with all National Olympic Committees to take stock of what the situation is regarding preparation. In order for the games to be held without any hassles, there are some radical steps that have been proposed. According to media reports, the IOC has conceded that fans might not be allowed in the stadium and the costs will have to be figured out by the host organisers. If fans attend, they may not be allowed to shout or celebrate. The torch relay will probably have to be held indoors, with the fate of 10,000 runners depending on whether the torch relay can be held in such a situation.
Coronavirus surge in Japan
In the past week, Japan has recorded cases in excess of 5000 on a daily basis as the country witnessed the third surge in coronavirus cases. However, in this week, the cases have been less but still over 3000. Japan has a total of 368,143 confirmed cases at the moment, according to data provided by the World Health Organisation.
The question of vaccinating the athletes who will come from 200 countries is also on the agenda as Japan looks to host the games that have been dubbed as the symbol of human strength as the country marks 10 years of the devastating north-eastern earthquake that caused the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear plant while Tsunamis destroyed property in billions and also resulted in the death of thousands.