Tokyo Olympics 2020 organizers insist games will go as planned in spite of coronavirus outbreak

The Japanese government has insisted on Wednesday that the Tokyo Olympic Games set for the summer of 2020 will push through as planned even if there are concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

Tokyo organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto was quoted by the Associated Press, saying that tha International Olympic Committee (IOC) does not have plans to cancel the prestigious event yet.

“Our basic thoughts are that we will go ahead with the Olympic and Paralympic Games as scheduled,” Muto said, speaking in Japanese. “For the time being, the situation of the coronavirus infection is, admittedly, difficult to predict, but we will take measures such that we’ll have a safe Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Muto added: ““That the end of May is the time limit, we have never thought of this or heard of such a comment. So when we asked about this, we received a response saying that is not the position of the IOC.”

Muto was part of an emergency press conference addressing comments from Dick Pound, a member of the IOC who stated his opinion regarding the matter just two days ago.

Pound said the Olympics might be cancelled rather than postponed if the coronavirus situation does not get better. News about his thoughts spread like wildfire, as concerns grew about the Olympics situation.

The Olympics is scheduled to begin on July 24, with 33 sports and over 14,000 athletes from 206 nations expected to attend.