Cancelling Tokyo 2020 is ‘inconceivable’, Japan’s Olympic minister says… but warns the IOC will have to make ‘an appropriate decision’
- Seiko Hashimoto said International Olympic Committee to make ‘final decision’
- She added that from the ‘viewpoint of athletes’ a cancellation is ‘inconceivable’
- Coronavirus epidemic has infected 581 and been linked to 12 deaths in Japan
Cancelling the Tokyo Olympics is ‘inconceivable’, Japan’s Olympic minister has said – as the coronavirus epidemic raised fears the event could be scrapped.
Seiko Hashimoto said it would ultimately be left to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to make a ‘final decision on the Games’ which are due to be held in the capital between July 24 and August 9.
‘From the viewpoint of athletes who are the main protagonists in the Tokyo Games, as they are making adjustments and preparations for this once-in-four-years event… it is inconceivable to cancel or postpone,’ Ms Hashimoto told a parliamentary committee.
‘We think it is important that the government gives correct information so that the IOC makes an appropriate decision.’
A man wearing a face mask walks past a 2020 summer Olympics advertisement in Tokyo in the tunnel of a metro station on Wednesday
The rapid spread of the virus, which has infected 581 people and been linked to 12 deaths in Japan, has cast a shadow over preparations for the 2020 summer Games.
Ms Hashimoto’s comments come after the Wall Street Journal quoted a member of the Tokyo organisers’ executive board as saying a delay of two years would be the most realistic option if the Games cannot be held this summer.
‘We’ll have to start talking about this seriously from April,’ Haruyuki Takahashi told the Journal, adding the board has not yet discussed the issue.
Asked about the report, Ms Hashimoto said she was told by organisers that they are preparing for the Games to go ahead as scheduled from July 24 to August 9.
The rapid spread of the virus, which has infected 581 people and been linked to 12 deaths in Japan, has cast a shadow over preparations for the 2020 Games
Tokyo 2020 organisers said they had ‘sought clarification’ from Takahashi.
‘He stated he had inadvertently given his personal opinion in response to a hypothetical question,’ a statement said.
‘As IOC President Thomas Bach stated the other day, neither the IOC nor the organising committee are considering postponing or cancelling the Tokyo 2020 Games, and we are proceeding with our preparations for a safe and secure Games opening on 24 July 2020 as planned.’
Tokyo Disney parks extend closure until early April amid coronavirus
Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea will remain closed throughout early April over growing fears of a coronavirus outbreak.
Oriental Land, the operator of the parks, added today that openings of new zones and attractions which were scheduled for April 15 will also be postponed until mid-May.
The announcement came a day after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for a 10-day extension of measures intended to halt the spread of COVID-19, including cancelling, delaying or scaling back major events.
Oriental Land originally closed the two Disney theme parks from February 29 with a plan to reopen from March 16.
Tokyo Disneyland (pictured) and DisneySea will remain closed throughout early April over growing fears of a coronavirus outbreak
‘We are planning our resumption time for early April, but we will make an announcement at a later time,’ the company said in a statement.
‘The opening of Tokyo Disneyland’s major development area, which was scheduled for April 15, has been rescheduled to mid-May or later.’
More than 30 million visitors flood into the two parks each year, which are among the most popular destinations for tourists in Tokyo.
Abe has made a nationwide plea for the public to help halt the spread of the coronavirus, urging schools to close through early April and telling businesses to encourage commuters to work from home or avoid rush hour trains.
A panel of experts is expected to meet next week to assess the effectiveness of those measures.