Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Friday it was inappropriate for candidates in London's mayoral election to propose their city host the 2020 Olympic Games if the coronavirus outbreak forces organizers to look for an alternative site. Shaun Bailey, the Conservative candidate for mayor of the British capital, has said London would be ready to host the event if needed.
The International Olympic Committee has said the World Health Organization advised it that there was no case for contingency plans to cancel or relocate the Games from Tokyo. Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Friday told the press that the country will move forward with the preparations to host a safe and secure Olympics, as reported by the People Daily China. Moreover, as per reports Japan has even brushed off the offer given by Bailey.
Organisers have no plans of shifting the event
The organisers of the tournament also mentioned in a statement that they are also not considering any changes in the venue of the quadrennial event even though the training of the volunteers has been postponed due to the epidemic.
The COVID-19 epidemic emerged from Central China and has spread to over 30 countries around the world affecting more 77,000 people and has claimed the lives of more than 2,300 people around the world, however the Chinese mainland is the most affected by the virus. Japan also fell prey to the epidemic as more than 100 people have been affected by the virus and one death has been reported so far.
Sporting events that got cancelled or postponed
Many sporting events in Asia have been postponed, cancelled or moved out of the continent. The World indoor championships in Nanjing has been postponed. The Hong Kong marathon got cancelled along with the Asian indoor championships. Even the Tokyo Marathon got restricted to elite runners only.
In case of motorsports, the F1 Chinese Grand Prix has been postponed while the Formula E's Sanya E-Prix has been called off. On the other hand, the China Masters badminton tournament got postponed along with the Asian team champions. The Hong Kong Sevens rugby event has also been postponed along with the Asian Champions League football matches. The Asia-Oceania Olympic qualifier for boxing also got moved out from Wuhan.
(With agency inputs)
