Japan sees a possibility to postpone the Olympic Games to the end of the year if, due to the corona virus outbreak, it is irresponsible to have the event continue in the planned period.
“The contract states that the Olympic Games must be held in the calendar year 2020,” said Japanese minister Seiko Hashimoto Tuesday in parliament. “That can be interpreted as a possibility of delay.”
The Olympic Games in Tokyo are scheduled for July 24 to August 9. “We are doing everything we can to let the Olympic Games go as planned,” emphasized Hashimoto, who participated in both the Summer and Winter Games as a skater and cyclist.
Postponing the Olympic Games would be a costly affair for the host country. The budget is around € 11 billion.
IOC chairman Bach is counting on successful Games
The possible influence of the coronavirus on the Olympic Games is high on the agenda at the IOC Congress, which is being held on Tuesday in Lausanne, Switzerland.
“We are all healthy and look forward to the meeting,” IOC President Thomas Bach said on arrival with a wink at the journalists present.
“We are preparing for successful Tokyo Olympics.” The German said earlier that he is confident that the event can continue as usual.
As far as is known, six people have died of coronavirus in Japan. The country currently has more than two hundred active infections.
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