Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to propose a one-year postponement of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games amid the COVID-19 outbreak, during a phone call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, Japan's NHK broadcaster reported on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th March, 2020) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has decided to propose a one-year postponement of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games amid the COVID-19 outbreak, during a phone call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, Japan's NHK broadcaster reported on Tuesday.
According to the media outlet, Abe called Bach at around 8 p.m. local time (11:00 GMT) from his residence, and Yoshiro Mori, the president of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Organizing Committee, and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike were also present at the talks.
Prior to the call, Abe has decided to propose the postponement of about one year, taking into account the time that athletes need for preparations for the Games, NHK reported. The media outlet added that the Japanese prime minister is also expected to request that IOC make final decision on the fate of the Games as soon as possible, including the schedule for postponement.
