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The Hindu
The Hindu
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Reuters

Olympics will go ahead regardless of COVID-19 situation: Tokyo 2020 president

Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori delivers a speech at a beginning of a meeting on the preparation for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo, Japan on February 2, 2021. (Source: Reuters)

Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori said on February 2 that Japan would hold the Summer Olympics regardless of the situation with the COVID-19 pandemic and was working closely with the International Olympic Committee to make them happen.

“We will hold the Olympics, regardless of how the coronavirus [situation] looks,” Mr. Mori said, adding that the discussion should focus on how, not whether, the Olympics will happen.

“We must consider new ways of hosting the Olympics” as a part of that, he said.

Mr. Mori added that while working together had its difficulties, Tokyo 2020 organisers and the IOC had a strong relationship.

Mr. Mori was speaking at the start of a meeting with Japan’s Sports Research Commission.

The 2020 Games were postponed last year due to the global spread of the novel coronavirus.

A recent spike in infections in Japan that triggered a state of emergency in some areas has fuelled speculation about whether the rescheduled Games can be held this summer.

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