Dick Pound, 79, the oldest qualified member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has made a remarkable statement about the Tokyo Games.
In an interview with Canadian public broadcaster CBC on May 10 local time, Pound said it is unlikely that the Tokyo Games will be postponed again, saying, “There’s no option to postpone it. Or to hold it on July 23, or to cancel it at all.” He said the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics would not be postponed again, and that the choice would have to be between holding and canceling them.
Bond also pointed out in February that the IOC has the authority to cancel the Tokyo Olympics if it is too dangerous to hold them.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held a meeting of the New Coronavirus Infection Countermeasures Headquarters at his residence on the 7th, and decided to extend the declaration of emergency being issued by the 4 prefectures of Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo from the original end of the 11th to May 31. 2 new prefectures of Aichi and Fukuoka will be added from the 12th, and the IOC President was scheduled to visit Japan on May 17, due to the extension of the emergency in Japan. Bach postponed his planned visit to Japan on May 17 to June.
Speaking about the postponement of Bach’s visit to Japan Pound speculated that the postponement of Bach’s trip was a direct result of the extended state of emergency in Japan, noting, “Maybe he took into account that it is a time of crisis in the state of emergency and it is not a good sign for people to enter Japan from outside.”
Pound has so far been confident about hosting the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, saying that everything is in place, such as the “bubble approach” (a way of completely covering up the competitors and those involved from the outside), and that everything is quite satisfactory. What are the risks? I believe that the athletes will be able to go to Tokyo.
On the other hand, talking about the increasing calls for cancellation in Japan due to the growing infection of the new coronavirus, Pound noted, “It’s public opinion, and they may also support it enthusiastically. It’s not all based on factual opinion. I have full confidence in the authorities who are making all the necessary plans.”
It is clear from Pound’s talk: from the IOC’s point of view, the attitude of forcing the Tokyo Olympics has not changed, and he also assured that the Tokyo Olympics will be held as scheduled, but it seems that cancellation is certainly an option.
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