Japan awoke on Wednesday to the deflating reality that the Olympics they had hoped to host in Tokyo this summer were now probably 16 months away after the coronavirus crisis forced organisers into an unprecedented postponement.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japanese government finally succumbed to intense pressure from athletes and sporting bodies around the world on Tuesday when they agreed to put back the Games until 2021.
It was a huge blow to Japan, which has invested $12 billion in preparations, but also for the prestige of the Olympic movement and its leader Thomas Bach, who had come under fire for not reacting sooner in the face of the global health crisis.
Japan Olympic Committee (JOC) President Yasuhiro Yamashita said the decision had come earlier than he thought it would, but he was determined the host nation’s athletes would be ready to compete in 2021.
“Now that the decisions have been made, let’s take this positively, reset our mindset,” he told a news conference.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) welcomed the decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games in the face of coronavirus pandemic.
“This is the time for decisive action and putting the health of athletes first. While we state our clear position on the matter, we do feel for the players who worked hard over 3 years to qualify for the Olympics, South Africa’s second successive qualification after Rio 2016,” said SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan.
The President is happy that the event will be rescheduled at a later stage.
“We were confident that with so many high quality stars in the South African Olympic squad, this team could have made it to the second round and knock-out stages of the Tokyo Olympics,” added Dr Jordaan.
“We want to thank head coach David Notoane who has done a magnificent job in building a highly competitive Olympic team and therefore understand his disappointment in not participating in the second highest competition in world football. We will keep in touch with FIFA and hope in the case of the Euro finals which has been moved to 2021 and Copa America also moved to 2021, that IOC and FIFA will also consider these options where players can participate in a safe and non-threatening medical environment.”
Felix’s Olympic dream endures despite Tokyo delay.
US sprint star Allyson Felix said she’ll continue her pursuit of Olympic glory despite the postponement of the Tokyo Games in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
After 16 years at the pinnacle of her sport, the 34-year-old American is in the last lap of a glittering career that has seen her earn 13 World Championship titles and six Olympic golds – the most of any female track and field athlete.
“I am not sure what the future holds, but my goals have not changed,” she wrote in an article posted on Time.com on Tuesday, after the International Olympic Committee confirmed the Tokyo Olympics would be pushed back to “no later than summer 2021.”
“I still hope to experience the feeling of standing on that podium in 2021 and I hope my journey to try to get back there will inspire you to keep moving forward.”
Felix said that after learning the Games would be postponed she felt “alone, afraid and unsure.”
Netball SA president becomes second SA sportsperson to test positive for Covid-19.
Netball SA (NSA) announced that its president, Cecilia Molokwane, has tested positive for Covid-19 after her recent business travels between the United Kingdom and Scotland respectively.
The announcement follows the revelation on Sunday by retired SA Olympic swimmer Cameron van der Burgh that he tested positive for the Coronavirus two weeks ago.
Molokwane had travelled to the United Kingdom for meetings with the International Netball Federation (INF) where she serves as a board member earlier this month. These meetings took place as South Africa is gearing to host the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town.
“I found out this morning (Tuesday, 24th March 2020) that I have tested positive for the coronavirus,” said Molokwane
“I did these tests following my return from the UK where I was in March. I would also like to mention that when we returned from the UK, we were screened at the airport (ORT) and everything went well.
“I would like to take this moment to alert the general public that I am currently in quarantine and taking all the necessary precautions to make sure that I recover fully from the virus. I am not showing any symptoms, however, I will still take precautions to protect everyone around me and myself.
“Please take all necessary precautions, wash your hands with soap or sanitiser for at least 20 seconds, keep the required two metre social distance. This virus is real, and we need to treat it as such. If you test positive please make sure that you quarantine for the required 14 days.”
