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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been adamant that they will continue with plans to host the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games starting July 24.
As the COVID-19 pandemic changes daily, by July, the global picture may look very different and may look much better, however, now is the issue that athletes are concerned with.
Meanwhile, the IOC feels that they need to find a solution to the negative impact for athletes as the organization has received criticism for marching forward with plans to host the games.
The IOC has stated that there is little need for panic at this time, however, there have been nearly a quarter of a million confirmed cases globally. There have been 8201 deaths.
The IOC has received criticism from their member Hayley Wickenheiser of Canada for being insensitive.
She said, “the pandemic is bigger than the Olympics.”
Several other athletes have complained as well, as they are concerned about training at a high level while at risk. In late July things may look more positive but training right now is the issue as is the lack of sensitivity over the situation expressed by the IOC.
“This is an exceptional situation which requires exceptional solutions,” an IOC press release has stated.
And according to the athletes, the exceptional thing to do would be to postpone the Olympic Games to July of 2021.
The athletes are not the only ones suggesting this. Spanish Olympic Committee president Alejandro Bianco suggested postponing the Games.
Spain has had over 11,000 people test positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, national team training camps have been cancelled in 16 Japanese cities from table tennis to gymnastics.
There are over 900 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Japan, they have had 30 deaths.
Japan’s deputy prime minister Taro Aso created a little panic-driven controversy saying, “It’s a problem that’s happened every 40 years. It’s the cursed Olympics and that’s a fact,”
Japan had won the bid to host the Summer and Winter Olympics in 1940 for the city of Tokyo and Sapporo (Winter) but both events were cancelled due to the Second World War.
