More Than A Delay, Japanese Officials Leak The Tokyo Olympics Will Be Canceled

Tokyo Olympics (Kyle Dias / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Japanese government has personally concluded that the Tokyo Olympics should be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement quoted an anonymous senior member of the ruling coalition. This confirms the Japanese move which has been known to be postponing.

Quoting Reuters on Friday, January 22, it was reported that the focus of the Japanese government is now on securing the Tokyo Olympics in the next available year, namely in 2032. Olympic organizers have yet to comment on the report.

Japanese organizers and government have consistently promised to continue preparations for the Olympics, which are scheduled to open July 23. The Olympics were supposed to be held in 2020, but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the initial international reaction, the Australian and United States (US) Olympic Committees said they remained focused on preparing for the Olympics as currently scheduled. "Any official communication at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will come from the IOC, the Tokyo Organizing Committee and the Japanese government," the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee said on Twitter.

"We haven't received any information to suggest that the Olympics will not go ahead as planned, and our focus remains on the health and preparedness of Team US athletes ahead of this summer's Olympics."

Before the decision came to postpone the Olympics in 2020, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) was among the first to say its country's athletes would not come to Tokyo.

"The AOC continues its plan to ensure the Australian Olympic Team arrives in Tokyo, competes and returns home safe and COVID-19 free," the AOC said in a statement.

Japan is facing COVID-19 more severely than many other developed countries. But a recent spike in cases has prompted it to close borders to non-resident foreigners and declare a state of emergency in Tokyo and major cities.

A recent poll showed about 80 percent of people in Japan don't want the Olympics to be held this summer. This is due to concerns that the entry of athletes will spread the corona virus more widely.

Against this backdrop, the government is looking for ways to save face by announcing a cancellation that leaves the door open for Tokyo to host at a later time.

"Nobody wants to be the first to say it but the consensus is that it is too difficult," a report from The Times, citing sources who were reluctant to provide anonymity. "Personally, I don't think that's going to happen,"

Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Yoshihide Suga said this week that the Games will bring hope and courage to the world. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach reiterated his commitment to holding the Olympics this year in an interview with Kyodo News on Thursday, January 15.

"We currently have no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympics in Tokyo will not open on July 23 at the Olympic stadium in Tokyo," Bach told Kyodo.

If it is finally held, around 15 thousand international athletes are expected to gather in Tokyo ahead of the Olympics and Paralympics. Organizers are expected to make a decision in the coming weeks whether coronavirus risks have abated enough to allow spectators to attend the Olympics.

Earlier, senior IOC member Dick Pound advised athletes to be at the forefront of recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine to increase the chances of the Olympics taking place. But this idea sparked a backlash from the public, health experts, and the athletes themselves.