World bodies support IOC
Geneva, March 19: Regional Olympic officials are rallying around the IOC and have backed its stance on opening the Tokyo Games as scheduled, as direct criticism from gold medalist athletes built amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Leaders of continental Olympic groups praised the IOC after a conference call on Wednesday to update them on coronavirus four months before the opening ceremony
“We are living through an unpredictable crisis and as such, it is important that we have one policy, expressed by the IOC, and we follow that policy in unison,” the Italy-based European Olympic Committees said.
However, when the International Olympic Committee published an interview with its president, Thomas Bach it prompted a four-time
Olympic champion urge postponing games.
Bach acknowledged that many athletes were concerned about qualifying events being cancelled, but noted that there were still four months to go until the games are set to be opened. “We will keep acting in a responsible way in the interests of the to the athletes,” Bach said.
British rowing great Matthew Pinsent wrote on Twitter that the comments from Bach, his former IOC colleague, were “tone deaf.”
“The instinct to keep safe (not to mention obey govt instructions to lock down) is not compatible with athlete training, travel and focus that a looming Olympics demands of athletes, spectators organisers. Keep them safe. Call it off,” Pinsent wrote.
INDIAN OLYMPIC ASSOCIATION BACKS IOC
Skepticism is sweeping through the world but the Indian Olympic Association on Thursday backed the IOC’s assertion that the upcoming Tokyo Olympics will weather the Covid-19 pandemic and be held on time without a glitch.
“The coronavirus is creating havoc throughout the world but we are hopeful it will be contained in one or two months. IOC is our parent body, we will have to abide by what the IOC decides. If the IOC says the Olympics will go on we will have to participate irrespective of any threat,” a senior offical said.
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President of International Olympic Committee
British Rowing great
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Agencies