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Canada urges Tokyo Games delay, won’t send team in July
MONTREAL, March 23, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Canadian Olympic officials on Sunday
urged postponement of the Tokyo Games, saying that in view of the coronavirus
pandemic they won’t send a team in the summer of 2020.
“The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee
(CPC), backed by their Athletes’ Commissions, National Sports Organizations
and the Government of Canada, have made the difficult decision to not send
Canadian teams to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the summer of 2020,”
the COC said in a statement that ratchets up the pressure on the
International Olympic Committee to postpone the Games scheduled to start on
July 24.
The IOC has come under increasing pressure to push back the games from
sporting federations and athletes worried about the health risks as the
COVID-19 global death tally went past 13,000 on Sunday.
IOC president Thomas Bach said a decision on when the Games would take
place would be made “within the next four weeks.”
Canadian Olympic and Paralympic authorities, however, said they wouldn’t
wait that long, urging the IOC to postpone the Games for one year while
offering “our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that
rescheduling the Games will bring.
“While we recognize the inherent complexities around a postponement,
nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the
world community,” the COC and CPC said.
“This is not solely about athlete health — it is about public health,”
their statement added. “With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not
safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the
broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these
Games.
“In fact, it runs counter to the public health advice which we urge all
Canadians to follow.”
That argument has become increasingly heard from athletes in countries
where training facilities are shuttered and gatherings of people are banned
in a bid to halt the spread of the disease.
The IOC has countered that by July, the global crisis could have passed and
that postponing now would be premature and could cost some athletes a long-
awaited chance at Olympic glory that might not come again.
Bach said the IOC was considering “different scenarios,” adding that
complete cancellation of the games was not among them.
“We are thankful to the IOC for its assurance that it will not be
cancelling the Tokyo 2020 Games and appreciative that it understands the
importance of accelerating its decision-making regarding a possible
postponement,” the Canadian statement said.
“We also applaud the IOC for acknowledging that safeguarding the health and
wellness of nations and containing the virus must be our paramount concern.
We are in the midst of a global health crisis that is far more significant
than sport.
“We remain hopeful that the IOC and IPC will agree with the decision to
postpone the Games as a part of our collective responsibility to protect our
communities and work to contain the spread of the virus.”
BSS/AFP/MSY/1140 hrs