“You’re Probably Looking At A Cancellation”- Tokyo Olympics 2020 In Big Danger

Published 02/25/2020, 2:26 PM EST

The controversies around the Tokyo Olympics 2020 refuse to die down. After the outbreak of the delay Coronavirus in Japan, rumours of postponement or relocation of Summer Olympics have been gaining ground.

However, a senior member of the International Olympic Committee has indicated that both these options might not be feasible. What we might be heading towards would be worse – a possible cancellation.

These statements were made by Dick Pound, who is a former Canadian swimming champion and a member of the IOC since 1978, is its longest-serving member. Pound made these statements in an exclusive interview to Associated Press.

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Let’s find out what Pound said.

Know More – Tokyo Olympics 2020 Under Threat Of Relocation To Former Host

What did Dick Pound say about Tokyo Olympics 2020?

This is what Dick Pound told AP –

“In and around that time, I’d say folks are going to have to ask: ‘Is this under sufficient control that we can be confident about going to Tokyo or not?”

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The time he is referring to is a two-month window, during which a final decision will be taken on the fate of the Olympics. He further revealed –

“A lot of things have to start happening. You’ve got to start ramping up your security, your food, the Olympic Village, the hotels. The media folks will be in there building their studios.”

If IOC decides the games cannot go forward as scheduled in Tokyo, “you’re probably looking at a cancellation,” said Pound.

However, Pound assured that as of now, things look in plan for the games to happen in Tokyo –

“As far as we all know, you’re going to be in Tokyo,” Pound said. “All indications are at this stage that it will be business as usual. So keep focused on your sport and be sure that the IOC is not going to send you into a pandemic situation.”

Pound completely rejected any possibility for postponement or relocation. This was something that had come to light after London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey had presented the city as an alternative –

“You just don’t postpone something on the size and scale of the Olympics. There’s so many moving parts, so many countries and different seasons, and competitive seasons, and television seasons. You can’t just say, `We’ll do it in October.”

What do you think about the possibility of the Olympics being cancelled?

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Aryan Sharma is a WWE and Tennis author and editor at EssentiallySports. Being a journalism graduate from Delhi University, he combines his love for creating content with an astute knowledge of almost three eras of professional wrestling. He's also a Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova fan and likes to write on the social impact of these two legends beyond their achievements on the tennis court.