Madhurima
RIO DE JANEIRO: The Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) said on Saturday that this year's Tokyo Olympics should be suspended due to the worldwide coronavirus outbreak. The COB also stated that the Games should be organised next year i.e. 2021 but on the same exact dates as 2020.
"The IOC has faced immense problems before with the episodes that ended in the cancellation of the Games in 1916, 1940 and 1994, because of the world wars, and the boycotts of Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984. They knew how to overcome these obstacles and the Olympic flame is stronger than ever," COB President, Paulo Wanderly mentioned in a statement which is available on the website of the committee.
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Earlier, one of America's national governing body of sports called USA Track & Field also suggested for the Olympics to be postponed. Nic Coward, the new chairman of UK Athletics, also urged for the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics.
On Friday, a member of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) expressed his opinion about the Tokyo Olympics to be postponed. Retired judo athlete Kaori Yamaguchi, who is additionally a member of the JOC executive board, told Japan's Nikkei newspaper that athletes aren't ready to prepare adequately for the Olympics scheduled to start out from July 24.
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World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe has also hinted that it's possible to postpone the 2020 Olympics if necessary.
