Tokyo Olympics to be held from 23 July to 8 August 2021
The Tokyo Olympics, postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, will now be held from July 23 to August 8 next year. Tokyo 2020 Chief Yoshiro Mori said at a press conference, “Now the Olympic Games will take place from 23 July to 8 August 2021. The Paralympic Games will be held from August 24 to September 5”.
Hours earlier, Mori had said that the International Olympic Committee would decide on new dates this week. The Tokyo Olympics were scheduled to be held from July 24 to August 9 this year, but had to be postponed due to Coronavirus outbreak across the globe. The IOC and the Japanese government continued to reiterate that the games would be held on time, but they had to take a decision under pressure from the sports federations and the players amid the growing outbreak of the Coronavirus.
Billions of dollars additional burden on Japan
There was also speculation that the games should be held in the spring, when cherry blossoms are in bloom in Japan. But at that time there is a European football and North American sports league. Tokyo Organizing Committee head Yoshiro Mori and CEO Toshiro Muto had said that the cost of organizing the games on the new dates would be very high. According to local reports, this cost will increase billions of dollars and the burden will be on the taxpayers of Japan. Muto promised to be transparent in calculating costs. Japan is officially spending $ 12.6 billion on hosting the Olympics.
Olympic will be as human victory over coronavirus
The decision to postpone the Games has affected all aspects including hotels, tickets, venue and transportation. The Government of Japan called these games ‘Recovery Olympics’. It wanted to show through the games that despite the tragedy of the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear leak in Fukushima in 2011, Japan could host these games. Now these games will be promoted as a human victory over the coronavirus. IOC chief Thomas Bac said, “Man is currently in a dark tunnel. The Tokyo Olympic 2020 can serve as a light at the end of this tunnel. This game will be a proof of man’s victory over the coronavirus. ‘
