The Olympic Games in Tokyo, which were postponed from the summer of 2020 to the summer of 2021 due to the global coronavirus pandemic, could be definitively canceled if there are no conditions for them to be held at a new date.
This was revealed by the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, in an interview with the BBC.
While the world continues to record 100 new cases of coronavirus every day, while there are fears of a second wave, fears are growing louder that such a demanding event as the Olympic Games will not be able to take place in 2021 either.
And that, as things stand now, would mean the definitive cancellation of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, with financial damage that is measured in the billions and billions.
"You cannot forever have between 3.000 and 5.000 employed people working on the organization of the Games. You cannot keep the athletes in such uncertainty all the time," said Bah.
The German pointed out that the very procedure of postponing the Games for 12 months is like "moving a mountain", he emphasized that the 2021 Games will definitely be "different", with an emphasis on something called the essence of sport and Olympism, but he also said that the OI without spectators "is not what the IOC wants".
Bach also did not want to speculate on whether the emergence of a vaccine or cure against covid-19 is a condition for holding the 2021 Games.
"We still envision the Olympic Games in Tokyo as unique, from which a message of solidarity will be sent to the whole world, which will be together again, celebrating the victory over the coronavirus," said Bach.
"But there is no plan for that, no prepared document, because things change from day to day and we don't know what awaits us. Every day we have to start the wheel anew. It is very challenging, but also fascinating," said Bach.
Bonus video:
