‘Right decision will give our athletes certainty’

our excitement has been building. However, we totally understand why this decision has been made,’ Mullan said.

‘What matters most is the health and well-being of the players, as well as our families and friends, and we hope everyone is staying safe and healthy at this difficult time.

‘As a team, it has been strange doing so much individual training. This is a big change for so many people, but everyone is in the same situation. We’ll be doing our best to use this as an opportunity.’

The Olympic Federation of Ireland welcomed the decision to postpone the Games until next summer. ‘This is the right call, given the times we are in,’ said OFI CEO Peter Sherrard.

‘Nonetheless, we recognise it was a difficult call for Japan to make, and we are looking forward to working with the IOC and countries all over the world to make Tokyo 2021 a poignant moment for everyone once these difficult times are over.’

OFI’s Tokyo Chef de Mission Tricia Heberle also accepted that it was an appropriate decision but warned that it will affect athletes in different ways.

‘There will be mixed emotions. Our focus is to continue to engage with and support our sports as we gather as much information to determine how this will impact on athletes who have already qualified and those on the path to qualification.’

The Olympics have never previously delayed in its modern history which stretches back to 1896 although the games were cancelled in 1916, 1940 and 1944 because of the World Wars.

However, this is the biggest crisis faced by the movement since the American and Soviet boycotts of the Moscow and Los Angeles games in 1980 and ’84. It is estimated that the Japanese economy will lose more than $4bn in inbound and domestic consumption this year by the games not going ahead as planned.

There was a sense, though, that this was the only decision that could be reached with Sport Ireland Institute director Liam Harbison saying athletes needed to know where they stood.

‘Athletes like certainty,’ Harbison said in response to the decision.

‘The decision to postpone is very disappointing for all preparing over the last four years and more. But it is the right decision. We will drive forward again to get ready for Tokyo 2021,’ he added.

Rowing Ireland, who had already qualified four boats for Tokyo, claimed that it was time to step back and begin planning again while Paralympics Ireland CEO Miriam Malone accepted that their Games couldn’t go ahead as planned.

‘Our guiding principle has always been the protection of our Irish athletes, their health and their safety and I believe that this decision safeguards our athletes in line with this principle,’ Malone stated.

‘We will do everything in our power to ensure that our Irish athletes will be able to adapt as seamlessly as possible to the new arrangements when they are confirmed,’ she added.