Japan's Abe: "IOC President Agrees to 1-Year Olympic Postponement... No Cancellation" (Summary)

Held by Summer 2021 at the Latest

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunbyeol Kim] Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced on the 24th that he has reached a consensus with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on postponing the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games by about one year.

After a phone call with IOC President Thomas Bach that evening, Prime Minister Abe said, "I proposed to President Bach the idea of postponing the Olympics by about one year to safely hold the Games," adding, "President Bach responded that he 100% agrees and said that the Tokyo Olympics should be held by next summer at the latest."

He also stated, "There will be no cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics, and I confirmed this with President Bach as well," adding, "As the host country of the Olympics, Japan will ensure that athletes from around the world can participate in the Games with peace of mind and in their best condition."

The phone call between Prime Minister Abe and President Bach lasted about 45 minutes starting at 8 p.m. that day.

Initially, Prime Minister Abe had intended to proceed with the Olympics despite the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), but as the virus spread worldwide and opinions supporting postponement gained strength, he appears to have changed his stance. Analyses suggesting a high possibility of failure in terms of success even if the Olympics were held as scheduled were also cited as reasons for postponing the Games.

The Tokyo Olympics were originally scheduled to be held from July 24 to August 9 this year, with the Paralympics planned from August 25 to September 6. Although postponing the Olympics to the fall was an option, this could cause conflicts with the seasons of the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), potentially leading to issues with broadcasting rights fees.

Meanwhile, in the summer of 2021, when the postponed Tokyo Olympics are expected to take place, the World Aquatics Championships will be held in Fukuoka City, Japan, and the World Athletics Championships are scheduled in the United States. Foreign media have reported that the schedules of these world championships may be changed once the Olympic schedule is finalized.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.