Summer Olympics, though initially scheduled to begin this July 2020, will currently be held in 2021. The reason for the Olympic delay is the pandemic and risk of Coronavirus spreading all over the world. Coronavirus outbreak creates an alarming situation for the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to reschedule the world’s greatest sports event. With social distancing in effect, most countries unanimously agree to postpone the Summer Olympics.
In December, the Coronavirus at first spread out in China but has immediately developed across Europe, Australia, Asia and South, and North America.
Tokyo organizers had been resisting to postpone this big sports event but Covid-19 turned had other plans, after Canada’s declaration on late Sunday about pulling back from the Olympics games. Canadian Paralympic Committee took the first move in pressuring the IOC by withdrawing its athletes. Germany is also in favor of delaying the Olympics along with Australia, the USA, and Brazil.
WHO explanation about the increase of Coronavirus to the Olympic committee shifts its thought about whether Tokyo would be able to save from this outbreak. Thomas Bach, the President of IOC, believed that the circumstance had gotten indefensible and athletes started voicing worries about their protection and safety against the pandemic. Therefore, the pressure from different countries forced the IOC to delay the Summer Olympics to prevent the spread of deadly Coronavirus.
Due to Coronavirus pandemic, delaying the Olympics was a generally acknowledged move by OIC. Olympics cannot be held, surely by putting the athlete’s life on the stake. To preserve the integrity and security of athletes, such immediate action is commendable.
Sports federation, athletes, local organizers, and other affiliations responded with a blend of relief and sorrow to the delay around the globe. However, most people encourage the choice of delay in this unpredictable state of Coronavirus outbreak.
According to Sebastian Coe, the World Athletics President, “The world is in a really difficult situation. The game can’t be different and the Tokyo and IOC decision about delaying Olympics was the correct choice”.
Postponing Olympic 2020 is not considered as a disaster, Paul Hayward (Senior Sports Journalist). Once the calamity made by the Covid-19 Coronavirus has passed, this biggest game event will locate another slot in the schedule.
IOC generates a lot of income from the Summer Olympics. Now, IOC could face many expenses due to Coronavirus. IOC may ask the sponsor of the game for payment delivery before the expected time to meet their expenses.
“The rescheduling cost of the Summer Olympics is most likely to be huge in the upcoming year”, stated Toshiro Muto. Japan will likely to bear additional costs estimated as much as $12 billion for rescheduling the main event. However, making sure to avoid any sort of inconvenience to people is the main objective of the organizing committee of Tokyo 2020.
The choice of delay would create endless complications as many tickets and other arrangements have been offered to individuals in Japan and all over the world, who may never again have the option to utilize them, Toshiro said.
The world is suffering incredible hardships and delay’s decision is the only correct action to implement.
