MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th July, 2021) The cancellation of the Olympic Games in Tokyo is not up for discussion as it could cost the world a whole generation of athletes, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said on Tuesday.
The Summer Olympics in Tokyo, originally scheduled to take place in 2020, were postponed for a year due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is currently set to take place on July 23 through August 8 and be held without spectators due to the remaining risks of the virus.
"We, the IOC, will never abandon the athletes, and with the cancellation, we would have lost a whole generation of athletes. So therefore, a cancellation for us was not really an option," Bach told the Japanese Kyodo news agency.
He also noted that the decision of the authorities to ban spectators from the majority of the events during the Games as part of the coronavirus response was vital to ensure the safety of everyone, adding that he supported the initiative with "a heavy heart."
Some 19,000 athletes are set to participate in the upcoming competitions, which will set an historic record of boasting 33 sport disciplines.
