Business as usual NZOC says on Games despite Covid rise

New Zealand Olympic officials say they have had no indication the Tokyo Olympic Games will not be held as scheduled and are preparing as if they will open in July.

The Times in London has reported that the Japanese government has privately concluded the games would have to be cancelled, due to Covid outbreaks in Japan.

The Times and the New York Times were both reporting IOC president Thomas Bach went on Kyodo News in Japan to calm things down.

New Zealand Olympic officials had not changed their thinking, an NZOC spokesman said.

’’Everything we’ve heard from the IOC, Games organisers and the

Japanese Government is that the Games are going ahead, so our focus is on preparing,’’ an NZOC spokesman said.

‘‘Both the Japanese Government and the IOC have this week strongly reaffirmed their commitment to the Tokyo Olympic Games taking place in July and August this year.’’

International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials were yesterday trying to allay concerns over a potential cancellation of the Games, which were due to be held in 2021 after Covid-19 rescheduled them from last year.

‘‘We have at this moment, no reason whatsoever to believe that the Olympic Games in Tokyo will not open on the 23rd of July in the Olympic stadium in Tokyo,’’ Bach said.

‘‘This is why there is no plan B and this is why we are fully committed to make these games safe and successful.’’

Rising Covid cases have Japanese officials bracing for a postponement, after longest-serving IOC member Dick Pound said the surging virus was ‘‘the ongoing elephant in the room’’ when it came to the Games taking place.

Tokyo has declared a state of emergency due to a resurgence of cases.

According to an unnamed senior government source, there ‘‘is agreement that the Games, already postponed a year, are doomed’’.

‘‘No one wants to be the first to say so but the consensus is that it’s too difficult,’’ the source said, according to The Times. ‘‘Personally, I don’t think it’s going to happen.’’