IOC President Believes The Tokyo Olympics Can Be Attended By Spectators

JAKARTA - International Olympic Committee (IOC) chairman Thomas Bach said he was "very, very confident" that audiences could attend the Tokyo Olympics which were postponed to next year after meeting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Tokyo on Monday.

Bach visited Japan for two days to hold a meeting with Olympic organizers to discuss preventive measures against COVID-19 related to organizing the Olympics, as well as other issues.

The visit to the Japanese capital is the first since Bach and former prime minister Shinzo Abe decided in March to postpone the Olympics until 2021 due to coronavirus risks.

Suga and Bach spoke together wearing white surgical masks at Monday's gathering. Suga, who replaced Abe in September, reiterated his commitment to hosting the Olympics, saying he hoped to work closely with Bach and the IOC in its preparations.

Bach told reporters that the Olympic organizers in Japan and the IOC would work hand in hand to organize a safe event.

"It makes us also very, very confident that we can have an audience," he added.

On the occasion of this visit to Tokyo, Bach will also present Abe "the Olympic Order" which is the IOC's highest honor. Bach will also visit the newly constructed National Stadium and meet with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike.