On Thursday, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said that the body is fully committed to having Tokyo Olympics going ahead on schedule, although the threat of coronavirus looms.
In a conference call, Bach told Japanese media that the IOC "is fully committed to a successful Olympic Games in Tokyo starting July 24." When asked about any alternatives to host the global event as scheduled (it was suggested by IOC member Dick Pound in an interview earlier), Bach said that he would not create any speculation.
He feels that the best thing would to prepare properly for the Tokyo Olympics as scheduled. When asked to put to rest the idea that there are other alternatives to holding the 2020 Olympics, Bach instead spoke about the steps being taken.
"(The priority) is to ensure the qualification procedure and protecting the safety of athletes at the same time. This is what we’re doing in cooperation with the Japanese authorities, the World Health Organization, the Chinese Olympic Committee and many National Olympic Committees," he said.
"For the IOC, it’s true what we’ve been saying all the time that the preparations for Tokyo 2020 are continuing with a view to having a successful Olympic Games this summer in Tokyo," he quipped.
